Love Conquers All
by SilverKitsune2017
Summary: After the Uchiha Massacre, Kakashi takes Sasuke in. Over the years, Sasuke had learned one very important lesson. Love conquered all. It could conquer loneliness, hatred, and even lies. Thanks to the love of father figure he was able to make a best friend, fall in love, and even find out the truth behind the massacre.
1. Chapter 1

Love Conquers All

Author's Note: This idea was inspired by a guest reviewer on another of my stories, who goes by the name Shisui. The idea is pretty simple. How would Sasuke be different if Kakashi had taken him in after the massacre? All reviews are greatly appreciated.

Disclaimer: I own nothing and make no money off of any of my stories.

Chapter Notation: Kakashi is 21 in this chapter. Sasuke 7. This chapter will be the an intro chapter. It will explain how Kakashi took Sasuke in and the events the night of the massacre and a few following days. Chapter two will have a major time skip. So it's slow to start, but I hope you like it.

Chapter One

"Lord Hokage, I have a request." Kakashi says.

"What is it, Kakashi?" The Third Hokage asks.

"I would like to take Sasuke Uchiha into my care. I understand that I am young to be a guardian for a child. But if I am capable of performing Jonin and ANBU duties, I am more than capable to keep one child safe." The silver hair haired ninja says.

"Kakashi, that is kind of you to offer. But I do not believe you fully understand what you are getting yourself into. This isn't just any child. Sasuke is a child who has suffered from a seriously traumatic event. He is currently in the hospital. We do not know if his mind will survive this experience intact. Even if he does somehow process what happened, he'll never be the same." Sarutobi warns him.

"I can handle it. Besides, what's the alternative? Do you think it is a good idea to leave a seven year old child alone, after THAT happened to him? He'll think about nothing but the massacre. It will drive him insane or make him do something foolish, like going after Itachi. It'd be cruelty to leave him alone after the massacre." He continues to argue.

"Well, I suppose if anyone can teach him how to use the Sharingan, it would be you. I'll admit that I was…uncertain what to do with him once he was released from the hospital. But if it gets to be too much for you Kakashi, please tell me. We will make other arrangements for the boy." He relents.

"Thank you. Obito wouldn't have wanted him to be alone." Kakashi says.

"So that is what this about. Kakashi, his death wasn't your fault. You can't blame yourself for what happened." The Third tells him.

"Partially. But even if Obito hadn't been my teammate, I still couldn't in good conscience leave the kid alone. I was alone after my father died. I would have liked it if someone had reached out to me." He says.

"I understand. Well it will likely take a few days before he can be released form the hospital. Do you wish to take him to your apartment or to live in the Uchiha District?" He questions.

"I will ask him what he prefers. He might prefer the District because it will give him a sense of normalcy. But he might also not want to go back there after seeing his clan butchered like that." The Copy Cat Ninja replies.

"Very well. I'd prepare your apartment just in case. Is it big enough for two people to live in?" He asks.

"It is big enough. Not nearly as spacious as his family's home, but it would be more than adequate." Kakashi answers.

Meanwhile, Sasuke wakes up in the hospital. He was horrified. His entire family was gone! Itachi had betrayed them. They were all gone! How could his brother do this?! He could hear the medics talking about it. He was all alone. This couldn't be happening. It had to be a nightmare! He'd open his eyes and see his mother's smiling face, his father's proud one, or Itachi's loving one. It was a bad dream. Yes, that had to be it!

"Sasuke? There is someone here to see you." One of the doctors told him.

"Who?" He asks and tilts his head.

Kakashi walks in. Sasuke didn't recognize this man. He was strange. He wore a blue mask over most of the bottom of his face. He had silver hair, even though he was young. But that's when Sasuke saw it. The man had a Sharingan!

Someone else had survived! It was really weird that he didn't recognize this member of his family. But the Uchihas were a large clan. So it was possible that he just hadn't met this relative yet. Maybe he was away on missions a lot and that was why Itachi hadn't killed him.

"Itachi didn't get you!" The child says happily and lunges at Kakashi with his arm wide open for a hug.

"No. No. He didn't get me. Hello, Sasuke. I'm Kakashi." He says.

"How are we related? Are we cousins? I don't remember seeing you around the District before. But I'm really glad he didn't get you!" Sasuke exclaims.

Uh oh. The kid had seen his Sharingan. It was only natural that Sasuke would assume they were related by blood. He couldn't possibly expect a seven year old to think of the possibility that he had the Sharingan transplanted into him. How did one even go about explaining that to a child?

For a moment, Kakashi considered lying. He could say that he was a distant relative. It would obviously make Sasuke happy. It was certainly easier than explaining. But he couldn't do it. The kid had been lied to enough.

"We aren't related. I have one Sharingan because my friend gave it to me. It was his last wish before he died." He explains.

"You can give away your Sharingan?" Sasuke asks and seems horribly confused by this.

"Yes. He was dying. It was better than risking an enemy ninja stealing it from his body or having it go to waste." The silver haired man tries to explain.

"Oh. I guess that makes sense." Sasuke squirms, obviously being justifiably grossed out at imagining someone's eye being cut out.

"Yes. But one of your family members was on my team. He was my best friend. I would like to take care of you. If you will let me." He says.

"Why did he only give you one eye though? That doesn't make much sense." The inquisitive child demanded to know.

"He was being crushed to death by a boulder. His other eye was already gone. It was not an easy death." Kakashi winces as he relives that painful memory.

"Ohh. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you sad!" He says with an aura of innocence.

"It's not your fault, Sasuke. I just miss him. What do you say?" He asks.

"I'll go with you." He states in a surprisingly somber voice that no child should possess.

He had the Sharingan. Well at least one Sharingan. He had been on the same team as one of his family members. Kakashi, mini Sasuke realized, was the closest thing to family that he had left.

"Good. They are going to want to look you over for a few days. But while they are doing that, I need to know where you want to live. Do you want to live in your clan's District or in my home?" Kakashi asks.

"Please don't make me go back." Sasuke says and hugs Kakashi's leg.

The poor kid. Damn. The world could be cruel sometimes. Well at least Kakashi had his answer.

Sasuke preferred his apartment. He couldn't blame the kid. If he had been in Sasuke's position, he wouldn't have wanted to go back either.

"Alright. I'll get your stuff while the medics look you over and get my place ready for you. Try to be a good boy for the medics, okay?" He asks.

Sasuke nods his head and heads off. Kakashi leaves the hospital and stops by Guy's place. Guy was his best friend and rival. He could be trusted in this strange situation.

"So let me get this straight? You are taking in a seven year old kid who just found out his entire family was murdered by his brother?" Guy asks.

"Yes, that's right." Kakashi replies.

"Are you insane? Kakashi that poor kid needs professional help. He needs medics and therapists. You are just a 21 year old bachelor. What do you know about raising a kid, especially a kid with his…circumstances?" His friend questions him.

"I know it's better than leaving him alone. He needs someone now. Obito would have wanted someone to step in. Do we really want to ignore him and let Itachi scar his mind forever, while he suffers alone?" The Copy Cat Ninja demands.

"You got a point there. Have you talked to the kid yet?" The spandex lover inquires.

"A little. He's agreed to go with me. He'd rather live in my apartment than go back there. I can't say I blame him." His friend replies.

"Resilient little thing, isn't he? He's actually coherent and willing to have conversations?" Guy asks.

"Yes, very resilient. He was perfectly coherent. I think it's a good sign. I think the kid may make it out of this with his sanity intact. So I came to you because I need some help getting my apartment ready for someone his age to live in." He continues.

"You want to baby proof the place?" The bushy eyebrowed man questions.

"More or less. But more like Sasuke Proof. He's seven. So it's not like we need to go all out. But yeah, there are a few things I'd have concerns about. I don't want him to get into my kunai collection and poke his eye out." He states.

"Yeah. Good point. Let's do it!" He says and heads off with Kakashi.

The two spend the rest of the day, preparing Kakashi's place. Guy retrieved "Sasuke's stuff" from the Uchiha District. Kakashi focused on making the guestroom fit for human habitation. By the end of the day, they both collapsed, exhausted.

A few days later, Kakashi takes Sasuke to his apartment. He let the kid look around. It reminded Kakashi of how a kitten or puppy might sniff around the various rooms when they were first brought home. But Sasuke wasn't a puppy or a kitten. He was a human being. A very hurt human being, who needed Kakashi's help.

"I brought all your stuff for you." Kakashi tells him.

Sasuke walks over to the box of clothes, toys, and other necessities. He promptly finds a stuffed dinosaur that he hugs to his chest. The youngest Uchiha was walking around the apartment, clutching onto it for dear life.

It was if that stuffed animal now symbolized something very critical in his young mind. Kakashi wasn't sure what it was. But he decided not to comment on it. Let him have his "security blanket" of sorts.

Sometime later, Kakashi hears giggling. Oh boy. What had Sasuke gotten into? He follows Sasuke's voice to the kitchen. Sasuke had opened the fridge and found the sake. You've got to be kidding.

"Sasuke, did you drink out of this bottle?" Kakashi says and holds up the partially empty bottle.

"Yes! It makes me feel funny." Sasuke says and hiccups.

"Sasuke, you aren't supposed to drink sake until you are much older." Kakashi tells him.

"Awe! But I like it." Sasuke hiccups again.

Kakashi didn't know whether to mentally awe at the adorable picture that a tipsy Sasuke presented, be angry, or worried. He sighs and puts the sake on top of the fridge. Now at least Sasuke wouldn't be able to reach It.

"Sasuke do you know how to bathe yourself?" Kakashi asks.

He sincerely hoped he did. Otherwise that was going to be very, very awkward. Please Gods and Goddesses let the kid know how to take a bath on his own.

"Yeah. Is it bath time?" Sasuke says and makes a face.

"Yes, yes it is." Kakashi says and shows him to the bathroom.

Sasuke pouts but heads inside. Kakashi chuckles. He was a cute kid. He had to give him that. He was going to be a real heartbreaker in about a decade.

Morning came. Kakashi had tried to cook breakfast for them. He wanted to give Sasuke a sense of normalcy.

Unfortunately, he was a bachelor who was more used to eating ninja rations than at home. When he was home, he generally got takeout or things that didn't need cooked. Operation Breakfast ended up in disaster. Smoke soon flooded the apartment.

Sasuke smelled the smoke. Naturally he went to see what was going on. He laughs when he sees Kakashi in the kitchen. Kakashi couldn't cook it seemed.

"It's okay. Father couldn't cook either. But mother showed me how." The kid ambles into the kitchen and proceeds to start making scrambled eggs.

"Well…it's the thought that counts." Kakashi chuckles.

"Yeah." Sasuke agrees and pours himself some orange juice.

"Sasuke, I understand if you don't want to go back to school today. But do you?" He asks.

"Yes. Need to get stronger. So I can beat Itachi." He says somberly.

"…Oh boy. Alright, Sasuke. Let's get you to the Academy. Please don't do anything like trying to run off to find him." Kakashi pleads.

"I won't. I have to get strong enough to beat him first. THEN I'll find him." Sasuke says as if it was obvious.

Kakashi sighs. He wondered what on earth he had gotten himself into? Oh well. There was no time to dwell on it now. He helps the child get to school.

"Sasuke, you are back already? Are you sure you are up to this?" Iruka asks kindly, when he sees the survivor.

Sasuke gives a determined nod of his little head. Iruka looks at Kakashi uncertainly. His eyes asking, _Do you really think he's ready for this?_ Kakashi just gives a nod of his head. If Sasuke wanted to go back to school, it was only right that he at least let the kid try.

"Alright, Sasuke. Go join your classmates. They are playing Hide and Go Seek." Iruka says.

Hide and Go Seek was a common game at ninja academies for the younger students. It was important that ninjas work on their stealth skills. Why not make it a game?

"Thanks, Iruka Sensei!" Sasuke says and races off to join his classmates.

"How is he really?" Iruka asks Kakashi.

"It's difficult to tell. On the surface at least, he appears to be doing much better than anyone could have reasonably expected. But he wants to get stronger to defeat Itachi. He's very determined about this. I worry that he'll do something stupid like go after him." Kakashi sighs.

"It's only natural that he'd want revenge. So where is he staying? Did anyone take him in?" Iruka questions.

"He's staying with me, at my apartment. He didn't want to go back to the District." He answers.

"Are you sure that's a good idea? Kakashi you are a bachelor. It's not a lifestyle that is really fit for a child." He muses.

"Iruka, I'm not going to have orgies in my apartment with the kid there. I can handle it. I'm not completely clueless." The silver haired ninja protests.

"Alright. Well if you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask. It's terrible, what happened." He mutters.

"Yes, it is." Kakashi agrees.

Sasuke quickly finds a hiding spot. It looked like a group of slightly older kids had found someone. She had blue hair and lavender eyes. Sasuke had never seen eyes like those before. They were picking on her!

He saw that a loud blonde in his year, was heading over. It looked like said loudmouth was going to try to help her. But he was outnumbered. Well Sasuke couldn't protect his family, but he could help to protect the girl with the pretty eyes!

"My name is Naruto Uzumkai and I'm going to be Hokage! I'm not going to let you pick on her!" The blonde decrees.

Sasuke even at seven raises an eyebrow. Did this loser actually think his scrawny butt was going to be Hokage? Nevermind. What mattered was helping said idiot save the girl, who was currently on the ground and crying. It looked like they might have actually hit her.

"You and what army?" The older kids says.

"He doesn't need an army. The two of us are more than enough to beat you up!" Sasuke says and walks over, standing at Naruto's side.

"Uh oh! Stand back guys. It's the Uchiha. He's probably cursed. He might sick their ghosts on us." The oldest kid says.

That pissed Sasuke off. How dare he talk about his family like that?! He wasn't cursed.

"I don't know any ghosts to sick on you. But I know something better! FIREBALL JUTSU!" He says and blows a small fireball at them.

Sasuke was relieved that his father had taught him their family's trademark jutsu before his death. If he hadn't…would Sasuke have ever learned it? Anyway, it scared the Hell out of the older kids long enough for Naruto to start swinging. Sasuke hated to admit it, but the loser could throw a good punch for a six or seven year old.

"Not bad, for a loser." Sasuke says and he fights back to back with the other boy.

"Jerk!" Naruto calls out, but nevertheless fights side by side with Sasuke.

Eventually, they beat the older kids. Naruto goes over and asks the girl if she was okay. She thanked them. That's when Sasuke saw Iruka Sensei coming. Uh oh.

"Sasuke, I knew it was too early for you to be back in school. You are already getting into fights. Naruto, again? Can't you ever stay out of trouble?" He says with a sigh.

"Th-ey saved me." The bluenette stammers out.

"What was that Hinata?" Iruka asks.

"The other boys…they hit me. Naruto and S-asuke made them stop." She manages to get out.

"Oh. It seems I owe you boys and apology. Hinata, let's get you to the nurse." He offers kindly and takes her hand.

"Okay!" She says and gets led off, but casts a backward glance at the boys.

"How'd you do that? Breathing fire with your mouth?" Naruto asks.

"My father taught me." Sasuke says.

"Oh. I wish I had a father that would teach me how to do cool stuff like that." He replies.

"Me too. My father is dead now." Sasuke says and looks at his feet sadly.

"What about your mother?" The blonde asks.

"She's dead too. They are all dead. Except my brother. He killed them all." Sasuke mutters and clutches his tiny fists in anger.

"Oh. I'm sorry." Naruto mutters, not sure what to say.

"Thanks. You don't have a dad either?" He asks.

"Nope. No mother either. But they died when I was a baby. I never knew them." He says.

"I'm sorry." Sasuke says.

"We can be each other's own family!" He chimes merrily.

"I thought I was a jerk?" Sasuke asks.

"You are. But you can do really cool stuff and this way we don't have to be alone!" He says.

"And you're still a loser. But okay." Sasuke says and does a fist bump with him.

"Great!" Naruto says with a big smile, which Sasuke returns with a smaller one.

Iruka comes back a few minutes later and finds Kakashi. He shakes his head. Honestly, there was never a dull moment at the Academy.

"Well Kakashi, it looks like you got a buy one, get one free special." He states in amusement.

"What are you talking about?" The silver haired ninja asks confused.

"Sasuke and Naruto decided that they consider each other a jerk and a loser, but they are family now. They don't want to be alone." Iruka says and points to the boys doing a fist bump.

"…I'm not going to end up adopting the entire village am I?" Kakashi asks.

"I don't think so. It appears to just be them. They saved Hinata. She's another student. The older kids were harassing her. It's good to see that chivalry isn't dead, at least on the playground." He muses.

"Hinata? As in Hiashi's daughter?" Kakashi asks.

"Yes, that's right." Iruka confirms.

"Oh boy. Now I'll probably have to deal with his Royal Stickness." Kakashi muses.

"His Royal Stickness?" Iruka asks.

"He's got a stick lodged permanently shoved up his ass." Kakashi explains.

"KAKASHI! There are children around!" He says scandalized.

"You asked. So I answered." Kakashi replies with a shrug.

Hinata meanwhile had just gotten patched up by the nurse. She heads back to the playground. She smiles when she sees Naruto and Sasuke together. They had saved her. They were so brave!

She hoped one day she could be like them. She was always so shy. Maybe they could be friends? She cautiously approaches them. But she was cut off by a rush of girls heading over to see them.

"Sasuke! I'm so sorry about what happened to your family." Ino says.

"Me too!" Sakura says.

"Thanks." Sasuke says and takes a couple steps back.

He was feeling a little overwhelmed. He and Naruto had been swarmed by about ten girls their age. It was enough to make any young boy skittish. There was so much pink!

"We all got you something!" They chime and show him various sweets.

"Um thank you." Sasuke says and is suddenly holding a rather large pile of sweets.

Sasuke hated sweets. But they were trying to be nice. Maybe Naruto or some of the other guys would like them?

"Loser, you want any?" Sasuke asks.

Naruto grabbed a box of chocolates. He started wolfing them down greedily. Sasuke didn't think it was a lack of table manners.

Naruto was scrawny. No wait, he was underweight. Sasuke couldn't possibly know it at that moment, but Naruot had mostly dined off of ramen because that was all he could afford. So he had grown to love it out of necessity.

"You are going to get sick if you keep eating them like that." Sasuke warns.

Sure enough, a few minutes later Sasuke could hear the sounds of someone throwing up. He sighs. Well he had tried to warn the idiot.


	2. Chapter 2

Love Conquers All

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. Let me know who would you like to see be the third member of Team Seven? Would you guys like to stick with Sakura? Have Hinata be assigned into Team Seven to make things easier? Or maybe throw a complete curveball and have someone unexpected be the third person? Let me know what you think. This chapter takes place five years later. Sasuke, Naruto, and Hinata are 12. Teams haven't been assigned yet.

Chapter Notation/warning: We all knew that Sasuke was going to be the one to get into those books of Kakashi's lol. Hopefully you guys think it's funny instead of weird. **KAKASHI IS GOING TO GIVE THE TALK. I will place warnings so you can skip that part if you desire.** This is a pretty long chapter by my standards too.

Chapter Two

Sasuke had been living with Kakashi and Naruto for five years. He knew he was lucky. The boy was smart enough to know that the Leaf generally didn't give a damn about orphans. He could have been alone, just like Naruto would have been, if he hadn't intervened.

 _"Kakashi, can Naruto live with us? His parents are dead too." Sasuke remembered asking._

 _"Sasuke, I really don't know if my apartment is big enough for the both of you." The silver haired ninja says and rubs the back of his head sheepishly._

 _"That's okay. We talked it over. We are okay with sharing a room." Sasuke says helpfully._

 _"You might be fine with sharing a room now, but what about in a few years when you will want your privacy?" He chuckles._

 _"Why would it be different in a few years?" Naruto asks innocently._

 _"Please Kakashi." Sasuke says and unleashes a weapon that Kakashi would become intimately familiar with in the following years, the bubble eyes of doom._

 _The kid could make the saddest face you had ever seen. No one could say no to THE FACE. Sasuke seemed to realize this to. He was quite manipulative for a seven year old._

 _Kakashi knew he was being conned. But the kid had already suffered so much. If he wanted to share a room with his friend for awhile, he might as well humor him._

 _Eventually the kids would drive each other nuts and Naruto would go back to his place. That's' what Kakashi had thought anyway. He would later be proven very wrong._

 _"Alright. We'll try it out and see if you two like sharing a room together." He relents._

 _"Thank you, Kakashi!" Sasuke says with a big smile and hugs his leg, Kakashi's heart melted._

 _"Thank you, Kakashi Sensei!" Naruto yells and hugs his other leg, with an even bigger smile and Kakashi's heart melted even more._

 **Warning Sasuke Finds Kakashi's Book/The Talk**

Ever since then, Naruto and Sasuke had shared a room. They had grown used to each other. But things were starting to get a little annoying.

Sometimes a boy just had to be alone…during certain activities. It would be nice to be able to take a cold shower to take care of certain problems, without Naruto asking what was taking him so long.

Sasuke was a few months older than Naruto. So maybe it was to be expected, he'd hit puberty first. Really, taking a cold shower was the only option. He wasn't going to jack off with Naruto in the same room! Now, he totally got why Kakashi said he might want his privacy later on. Speaking of Kakashi, Sasuke blamed his morning wood problems on that pervert!

Really, Sasuke was INNOCENT. He had just been curious. Kakashi was always reading those orange books. It was only natural that he'd want to see what held his guardian's attention. So one day, Sasuke had "stolen" one of the books.

It had been…quite the education. So THAT was where babies came from? People could do that with their mouth? Oh so that's what fuzzy handcuffs were used for. He'd also been introduced to all sorts of new fun words like orgasm, kink, fetish, fantasy, bondage, and the list went on. Really, it was quite the educational experience.

"This is all his fault!" Sasuke growls as he gets out of the bathroom.

Other than this occasional awkwardness, Sasuke enjoyed sharing a room with Naruto. Naruto was always there for him. Waiting to listen to whatever Sasuke had to say, fight with Sasuke, talk with Sasuke, or just train with him. He was never alone.

"This is all whose fault?" Kakashi asks good naturedly.

"YOURS AND THAT DAMN BOOK!" He snarls and then covers his mouth.

Dammit. He wasn't supposed to let Kakashi know he'd gotten into one of his books. This wasn't going to end well. This was going to end in utter embarrassment.

"Ah I was wondering where the 4th book in the Makeout Paradise series went. I guess I have my answer. I suppose that does explain your sudden fondness for cold showers. I…probably should have prepared a speech for this. But I'm not going to insult your intelligence by using some birds and the bees metaphors. So…I guess we need to have _The Talk._ I'm not doing this twice by the way. NARUTO GET IN HERE." Kakashi yells.

"Coming! What is it?" Naruto says as he skids inside the room.

"I'm going to die of humiliation." Sasuke sighs and smacks his forehead.

"Oh this is going to be GOOD. What has the bastard all embarrassed?" Naruto asks cheerfully.

"Well you boys are getting older now. Certain changes are going to happen to your bodies. It's nothing to be embarrassed about. It's just a fact of life. Now…I suppose we should start with the basics. There are many different sexual orientations but the most common are straight, gay/lesbian, and bisexual." He begins.

"Oh for Godsakes, Kakashi I'm not THAT clueless." Sasuke says and tries to walk out of the room.

Kakashi grabs Sasuke and pulls him back in. He gives Sasuke a look that says SIT. Sasuke wisely sits down.

"Um alright. What's a sexual orientation and what do all those things mean?" Naruto asks merrily.

"You are really that stupid?" Sasuke asks.

"Bastard! I'm not stupid! I'm just asking questions, so you don't get all confused!" He says.

"Sexual orientation refers to what gender or genders you are attracted to. Straight women like men. Straight men like women. Lesbians are women who like women. Gays are men who like men. Bisexuals are attracted to men and women." Kakashi explains.

"Now, I'm just going to assume that you are both straight. When a man loves a woman very much… " Kakashi begins and can't believe he is saying this.

"He gives her orgasms." Sasuke states.

"…Well…ideally, yes." The silver haired ninja says and honestly he was too stunned to say much else.

"I read the book, remember?" Sasuke says smugly.

Kakashi shakes his head in amusement. Well…at least Sasuke got the general idea of it. Naruto looked confused. He sighs, this was going to be a long and very awkward conversation.

It took about an hour to explain the basics. Kakashi was nothing if not thorough. He explained the most basic mechanics Kunai into pouch A, B, or C. The silver haired ninja with the greatest mortification explained what an erection was. He introduced the concept of virginity, contraception, and self pleasuring.

He let Naruto know that yes, the stork story was a lie. That was not where babies came from. This caused Sasuke to snicker.

He tried his best to explain what an orgasm was, since Naruto wanted to know. In his words, _"If the bastard knows, I should know too!"_ Sasuke snickered again. Sasuke seemed to be doing a lot of that today. It seemed he was rather smug about knowing more than Naruto did about this topic.

Kakashi decided to leave the more…advanced topics such as positions, kinks, and so forth for another day. Sasuke seemed rather interested to learn more about what Kakashi would refer to as light bondage.

Thankfully, he was still relatively innocent. Mostly he wanted to know about fuzzy handcuffs and spanking. It confused Sasuke that a punishment for a child was considered erotic by some adults. One did have to admire the boy's eagerness to learn though.

 **End of the Talk**

"So that should…cover the basics. Do you have any questions?" Kakashi asks.

"Is Naruto going to be okay?" Sasuke says and pokes the blonde with a stick.

It looked like the talk had been a little bit too much for the innocent boy to take. He was in shock. Kakashi rubs the back of his head sheepishly. Good thing he hadn't gone into advanced topics.

"Yes, I think so. I probably should have waited another year or two in Naruto's case. But I really didn't want to go through all that again." He says with a sigh.

"Yeah." Sasuke says and pokes Naruto with the stick again.

"Sasuke, stop poking Naruto. He'll wake up soon enough." Kakashi tells him.

"Alright. Well…at least I know how to restore my clan now. I mean a lot of girls at the Academy follow me around. Maybe one of them would help. But they are so annoying. I don't know if I'd want them to be the mother of my children." He says and seems to be pondering this topic as seriously as a twelve year old could.

"Sasuke…you are way too young to be restoring your clan." Kakashi says.

"But it would be a good idea to do it before I go to kill Itachi. What if something goes wrong? My clan could die with me." He points out.

"…Sasuke at least wait until you are a Jonin." Kakashi sighs.

"Alright. I have to be strong enough to protect my family anyway." He says with a shrug.

"…Exactly." Kakashi says and shakes his head.

Oh boy. One fainted. The other was ready to start making babies. How the Hell did two boys who shared the same room end up being at such different stages of development?

The next day, Sasuke and Naruto head to the Academy. Naruto was still overwhelmed by all the information Kakashi gave them. He still had _Fish Face_ as Sasuke called it.

Fish face was when your mouth was open and you were gaping like a fish. Usually this happened when you were shocked. Sasuke sorta felt sorry for the blonde. It was still funny as Hell though.

The final exams were getting closer. Sasuke had been working with Naruto. He didn't know why making a shadow clone was so difficult for the blonde. But he was hoping that he'd be able to pull it off and graduate. That was all he needed and he'd be set.

"Morning, Sasuke!" Sakura, Ino, and varying degrees of generic fan girls say as they swarm him.

"Morning." He mutters.

He didn't know why they did this everyday. If he liked one of them, he would have said so by now. The only girl that didn't fucking stalk him was Hinata. Therefore, she was the only girl that he tolerated in this class.

He barely knew her. After Naruto and he had saved her all those years ago, he had tried to talk to her. He wanted to be friends. But every time he tried to talk to her, he'd get swarmed by the fan girls. So he had eventually given up after about a year of this…annoying behavior.

"Hey, Ino." Naruto says.

Sasuke smirks. Well at least Naruto was doing better. The youngest Uchiha didn't know why most of the village treated Naruto like a pariah before they became friends. But at least the kids at the Academy were starting to warm up to him.

Mostly because the girls saw Naruto was Sasuke's best friend. If Naruto liked them, maybe Sasuke would. But now the cheerful blonde was starting to get at least a couple admirers. Naruto was lucky though. His admirers weren't crazy stalkers, like Sasuke's. He sighs.

"Hey, Naruto." Ino says.

Sasuke would never understand girls. The less interested he acted, the more they chased. Weren't the men supposed to do the chasing? It was always that way in Kakashi's book.

He briefly contemplates sending them all a copy of it. But then he decides, he'd never get any peace if he did. They'd take the wrong message from that. Kakashi would probably get in trouble too. Yeah, it was a bad idea.

At recess, Sasuke noticed Hinata was off by herself. She looked worried. Actually she looked sad. There was just something about those eyes of her that drew him like a moth to a flame. She seemed so…fragile.

"Hinata?" He asks, after making sure that for once his fan girls weren't flocking around him.

"Oh S-asuke!" She says and seems embarrassed at having been caught hiding.

Something shimmered on her face. The sun had struck her at just the right angle. It was glistening. Was that a tear? She was crying.

"What's wrong?" He asks as he makes his way over to her.

"Nothing." She stammers.

"Hinata, you are a really bad liar. You need to work on that if you are ever going to do intelligence gathering missions." He informs her.

"Sorry." She mumbles and looks at her feet.

"You are apologizing for being a bad liar?" He asks in disbelief.

"I guess so?" She asks uncertainly.

He tilts his head. She was acting like a dog that expected to be beaten at any moment. Why was she so…painfully shy? Why had she been crying? He decided he was going to get to the bottom of this. He places his hand under her chin and forces her to look up at him.

"Hinata, I asked what's wrong. And I'm not going to let you stare at your feet again. You're a Hyuga. You come from a Noble Clan. You should be proud of that and hold your head high, not be looking at your feet all the time. I mean they are cute feet, but yeah." He says.

"You think my feet are cute?" She asks in confusion.

"Yeah. I mean…well you know as far as feet go. That really wasn't the point. What's bothering you? I saw your tears." He says.

"It's the graduation ceremony." She answers and looks away.

"Why would that bother you? Can't your family make it?" He questions.

"It's not that. It's what happens afterwards. I've always been the w-eak one in my family. I'll only sl-ow my team down. I'll just disappoint my father more. Neji should be the next clan head, not me." She mumbles.

"Hinata, you're not weak. You are just shy. You could do better if you weren't so scared of failing. You won't slow your team down. If your father is disappointed in you, he's an idiot. And…I don't know who Neji is. I'm sure he's great, but you were born to lead." He says.

"Really?" She asks with big wide eyes, no one had ever said anything like that to her before.

"Really. You'll be a good leader because you care. Most people don't." He tells her.

"I GOT IT!" One of the Academy kids says as they try to catch a Frisbee.

He didn't have it though. He knocked Sasuke right over, who in turn ended up pushing Hinata into the ground when he fell. Their lips touched accidentally.

Sasuke didn't know what happened. One minute he was talking to Hinata. The next he was on top of her. He could feel her soft lips against his. Instinct took over.

He pressed his lips against hers experimentally. He heard Hinata gasp, but he was too curious to really stop. She tasted like watermelon.

It was a very pure taste. Good and unassuming. He decided he liked it and was about to try to introduce his tongue, like the books had said. That's when he felt himself get yanked off Hinata by someone much bigger than he was.

"Sasuke do you mind telling me what you were doing just now to Hinata?" Iruka demands.

"… We got bumped into each other." He says.

"It's true. Sorry Sasuke! Sorry Hinata!" The Frisbee kid calls out.

"It's ok-ay." Hinata stammers, blushing furiously.

"Hinata, is that true?" Iruka asks.

"Yes." She answers.

"And you aren't just saying that because you don't Sasuke to get into trouble?" He inquires.

"I I…it was an accident." She mumbles.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to get Kakashi here and Hiashi." Iruka sighs, not entirely sure.

Hinata was the type of girl that might lie to get someone out of trouble. Sasuke was very popular with the girls. Hinata might have gone along with it, just so she'd fit in. While Hinata was innocent, Sasuke had been raised for the last five years by a man whose favorite hobby was reading erotic literature. His innocence was certainly up for debate.

Kakashi blinks when he gets a scroll asking him to come to the Academy. He goes to Iruka's office. He was surprised to see Hiashi there. Sasuke was there and Hiashi's daughter. Kakashi couldn't recall the girl's name at the moment.

"Well I'll be blunt. There was an incident. I'm not exactly sure if it was an accident or not." Iruka sighs.

"What incident?" Hiashi demands to know.

"Sasuke either intentionally kissed Hinata or it was an accident and they both ended up in a compromising position." Iruka says.

"YOU TOUCHED MY DAUGHTER?!" Hiashi roars at Sasuke.

"Yeah, I did. It was an accident. Some stupid idiot fell into me. So I fell on top of Hinata. Our lips touched. That's it!" Sasuke says.

"Hinata, is this true?" Hiashi questions.'

"Ye-s. Sasuke didn't…kiss me on purpose." She mumbles.

"You can tell me the truth, Hinata. If he forced himself on you in ANY way, he will be punished. You don't need to worry about what he'll do. You will be protected." Hiashi assures her.

"He didn't do it on purpose. S-asuke was being really nice to me before it happened too." She stammers.

"Really nice, how?" He questions and stares at Sasuke in what Sasuke supposed was supposed to be an intimidating fashion.

Sasuke was twelve. But he knew Hiashi's type. He remembered his father. He had seen his entire family killed by his brother. He had no fucks to give about Hiashi trying to stare him down. He stared right back at him.

"He wa-s trying to make me feel better." She mumbles.

"Why were you upset?" He asks.

"She was upset because of you! She was crying because of you! You made her feel like she wouldn't be a good clan head. That she would be a burden on her team." Sasuke growls at him. (Well as much as a 12 year old could growl.)

"Boy, this is a private discussion between me and Hinata. Stay out it!" He barks.

"It's not a private discussion when she's crying because of you!" Sasuke snarls.

"Sasuke, calm down." Kakashi says.

"I'm not going to calm down. He's mad at me for something that wasn't my fault. He's the one who is upsetting Hinata, not me." Sasuke says.

"Well Kakashi. I have to give you credit. You've raised a very brave boy. His manners could use some work. Also he needs to learn how to respect his superiors." Hiashi observes.

"…Now you've gone and done it." Kakashi says with a sigh.

"My superior?" Sasuke snarls at him, his Sharingan activating fully for the first time.

He could feel his blood boiling with rage. He'd never wanted to kill anyone other than Itachi before. His superior? The man who led a clan who was half enslaved?! Was he fucking joking?!

"Your Sharingan activated. Impressive. But I'm afraid I have more experience with my Byakugan, if it's a fight you are after. You will lose." He states.

"Hiashi, threatening a twelve year old boy is beneath you." Kakashi says.

"Yes, I suppose you are right. It's clear that as misguided as his actions are, it is only because he is worried about Hinata. Which I do appreciate. But let me make one thing perfectly clear. I am the one in charge of Hinata's well being, not you. So go back to your sandbox and play." He states.

"FIREBALL JUTSU!" Sasuke calls out.

He wanted to hurt him! He hurt Hinata. He insulted Sasuke. He deserved it. Sasuke would teach him not to underestimate him.

"He's not even a Genin and can use fire jutsus? Usually that's at least Chunin level. Impressive. But not impressive enough." Hiashi says, flickering behind Sasuke and locking up the boy's chakra points.

"AHHHHHH!" Sasuke cries out in pain.

"You are brave. Strong for your age too. Your instinct was to protect her at all costs. You'll be worthy of her one day, when you've grown smarter and have learned not to pick a fight you can't win." He whispers into his ear just before Sasuke lost consciousness.

"SASUKE!" Hinata yells and rushes over to try to help her teammate.

"Hiashi! I can't believe you just attacked a student of mine. I am going to speak to the Third Hokage about this! You will be sanctioned. Despicable!" Iruka yells.

"He challenged me." Hiashi states.

"And you challenged me, by attacking one of my students!" Iruka roars.

"You are no match for me in battle and we both know this." Hiashi says unfazed.

"Iruka might not be. But would you like to test your luck against me? That is my charge that you just attacked." Kakashi seethes.

"Kakashi, you saw what he did. He challenged me. He bit off more than he could chew. He will be fine in a few hours." Hiashi assures him.

"The same can't be said for you." Kakashi says and charges up a Chidori.

"Sasuke, wake up." Hinata cries over his unconscious form.

It was at that moment, that Sarutobi walks in. He blinks. The Third Hokage saw an unconscious Sasuke, with Hinata crying over him. Kakashi looked like he was about to strike Hiashi with a Chidori and Hiashi seemed ready to throw a 64 palm technique at Kakashi.

"Everyone calm down and tell me what happened." He says and walks over, checking Sasuke's pulse.

"He'll be fine." He assures Hinata kindly, who sniffles, and nods.

"It seems an accident occurred. Sasuke was knocked into Hinata and they fell onto the ground together in what seemed to be a kiss. The boy challenged my authority as a father. He needed to be punished. His Sharingan activated." Hiashi adds as an afterthought.

"Hiashi, you attacked a child? I am disappointed in you. You are off duty for a month until you learn to cool your temper. Kakashi, lower your Chidori. I won't have you attacking another Leaf Ninja, as pleased as I am to see that you are so protective of your charge. I will speak to Sasuke when he awakens about giving proper respect to his elders." He says.

"Very well." Iruka says, glad the situation seemed to be diffused for now.

"He deserves more than a Chidori. That was cowardly. He's not even a Genin." Kakashi glares at Hiashi.

"He's able to use the Sharingan and fire jutsus. He might be an Academy student, but he is at the very least Chunin level." Hiashi defends himself.

"That is not for you to decide." The Third reminds him.

"Of course, Lord Hokage." Hiashi mutters and bows his head in a gesture of respect.

"Hinata, are you alright?" The Hokage asks.

"I think so." She says and is still basically covering Sasuke with her body protectively and glancing nervously at her father.

"First kisses are usually less…traumatic." Kakashi muses.

"Come Hinata. We are going home." Hiashi orders.

"I want to stay until h-e wakes up. It's my fault he's h-urt." She says.

"Hinata, it is not your fault. It was his own decision to challenge me. He will have to deal with the consequences." The older Hyuga says.

"Because he t-ried to make me feel better. He wouldn't have ch-allenged you otherwise." She mumbles.

"That is true. But you had no way of knowing that. He will be fine. Come." He says.

"I'm staying." She says more firmly.

Hiashi raises his eyebrow. Hinata had never defied him before. He understood that she felt guilty. But still this was unexpected.

He was unsure of how to deal with this show of defiance. The Hyuga Patriarch had been hoping the girl would being to show more of a backbone. He just didn't think when she developed it, she would attempt to use it against him.

 _"Hinata, I asked what's wrong. And I'm not going to let you stare at your feet again. You're a Hyuga. You come from a Noble Clan. You should be proud of that and hold your head high, not be looking at your feet all the time."_ Sasuke's words replayed in her head.

Instinctively, she knew that her father's gaze was his way of trying to stare her down. He expected her to go with him. But she couldn't just leave Sasuke laying unconscious like this. She meets his gaze. She expected to see fury in her father's eyes, not pride? She meets his gaze with determination and confusion.

"Very well. You may stay until he wakes. Afterwards you are to come home, immediately after. Do I make myself clear?" Hiashi asks Hinata.

"Yes, father." She says and bows her head respectfully.

"Good. Lord Hokage, I deeply apologize for this…unpleasantness." He says.

"You are still not going on any missions for a month. But it is over now." The Third replies.

"I understand and accept my punishment, Lord Hokage." Hiashi says.

"He deserves a Chidori in the nuts, not a vacation." Kakashi scoffs.

"…Kakashi, I understand you are upset because your charge was attacked, but please do try to conduct yourself with more composure." The elderly man says.

"Yes, Lord Hokage." Kakashi says and bows his head.

"Let's get him to the hospital." The Third states.

Kakashi nods and scoops up Sasuke. He smiles reassuringly at Hinata. Hinata follows after Kakashi.

The Third shakes his head in amusement. Well he hadn't seen this coming. But it was good that Sasuke was capable of feeling protective. It meant he cared. That meant that the massacre hadn't destroyed his ability to form bonds.

Granted, he never expected it to be with the sweet, shy Hyuga girl. But still it was a good sign. Sasuke had actually been willing to go head to head with Hiashi Hyuga. Sarutobi knew many Jonins that were not brave or foolish enough to do this. Honestly, he was impressed.

It did raise interesting questions though. What would happen if the two bloodlines were mixed? Perhaps one would be recessive. Maybe some of the children would have Sharingans and others Byakugans. Could it form a new trait entirely? Maybe the children would display the Sharingan in one eye and the Byakugan in another.

He tried to tell himself he was being a bit silly here. They were only twelve. But he remembered that Kushina and Minato had bonded rather young. It wasn't unheard of in the Leaf for romantic relationships to have their foundations in childhood. Oh well, time would tell.


	3. Chapter 3

Love Conquers All

Author's Note: Thanks for all the reviews guys. Well most people wanted Hinata on Sasuke's team, so that's what we are going with. Sorry to the person, who wanted her on a different team. As for who ends up with Naruto, I'm still open to suggestions on this. At the moment, I'm leaning towards Ino for lack of anyone else really. In this chapter, Team Seven is just beginning to form. So we are still working with a 12 year old Sasuke, Naruto, and Hinata. We will probably get to Part II age in the next chapter or one after that.

Chapter Three

"He's going to be alright. He just got the wind knocked out of him. Yes, I'll let him know you all stopped by. I'll make sure he gets all the flowers, cards, and get well wishes." Kakashi informs the gaggle of almost teenage girls that had flocked to the hospital once they realized that Sasuke was "sick."

"The bastard has always been popular with the girls." Naruto says and proves once again that he had a knack for stating the obvious.

"So I see." Kakashi agrees and finally, manages to shoo them all away.

Well all except for one. Hinata who was normally such a skittish little thing, gave Kakashi a look that DARED him to try to move her. Poor girl probably felt guilty. It wasn't her fault that Hiashi and Sasuke had butted heads. Naturally, though she was going to blame herself.

"How is he?" The Copy Cat Ninja asks one of the medics.

"Oh he'll be fine. I expect he'll wake up any moment now. Hiashi didn't go full out. He just wanted to prove a point." The medic reassures the concerned guardian.

"And I'll prove a point by Chidoring his nuts off." Kakashi mutters under his breath.

"Owe." Sasuke mutters and winces as his eyes open.

"Sasuke!" Hinata says and clings to him.

"Bastard! You're alright!" Naruto darts over and gives Sasuke a bone crushing hug.

"Owe! Naruto, I can't breathe!" Sasuke says and his face starts to turn blue.

"Oh sorry. I'm just really glad you're alright." Naruto says and lets Sasuke go.

"And the rest of our class was re-ally worried about you." Hinata says as she gestures at the gifts.

"They were worried over nothing. You okay?" He asks her.

"I'm fin-e. I was worried about you. It was really scary when you fell like that." She says.

Sasuke was pretty sure he lost major cool points for getting his ass handed to him by Hiashi. But this seemed countered by Hinata's concern for him. Maybe he should go for sympathy kisses? Nah. Uchihas didn't need pity to get kisses.

"Yeah. It wasn't much fun for me either." Sasuke admits.

A few days later, Naruto had graduated. He hadn't been able to produce a shadow clone at the test. But he had found a forbidden scroll and the truth about why he had been a pariah. It was because inside him he possessed the Nine Tails Fox. That explained so much. Anyway, since he could now spam shadow clones like nobody's business, he graduated.

Naruto had actually been in the middle of the pack as far as exam results went. It was just if you couldn't do Shadow Clones, you couldn't graduate. It was considered a vital skill to have.

The blonde had always done well on physical tests, minus the Shadow Clones. His test scores were on the weaker side, but decent enough to squeak by. This was mostly thanks to Sasuke egging him on until the blonde had to hit the scrolls and passed. Otherwise Sasuke wouldn't let him live it down. The youngest Uchiha pawned Naruto's struggle with academics down to a REALLY bad case of ADHD.

"Team Seven will consist of Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto Uzumaki, and Hinata Hyuga." Iruka reads off.

"Yay, bastard! We get to be on the same team. Oh and Hinata's nice. This will be great!" Naruto says.

Sasuke merely nods. He didn't want to seem TOO happy about it. Naruto still didn't know why he and Hiashi had come to blows exactly.

He knew that in Kakashi's words, Hiashi had been a prick…but not why. The blonde would never let Sasuke live it down if he found out about the kiss. But on the inside, Inner Sasuke was doing a happy dance.

Later that day, they were all waiting for Kakashi. Sasuke and Naruto had lived with the pervert since they were seven. So they knew what to expect. Hinata was a bit nervous though and kept glancing at the clock. Kakashi was late, as was usual.

"He's never on time. Don't worry about it." Naruto says cheerfully.

"What's he like?" She asks.

"Kakashi is cool. He pretty much let's us do what we want. He's always late and a major pervert though. I'm kinda surprised they let a girl be placed on his squad." Naruto muses.

"You idiot. Don't tell her that. Besides, there is always one girl and two boys on every squad. Kakashi's a pervert but he wouldn't look at someone our age like THAT." Sasuke says and a vein twitches in his forehead showing his annoyance.

"Oh. That doesn't sound too b-ad." She mumbles.

Hinata tries not to look at Sasuke too much. She really didn't know how she was supposed to act around him now. It had been an accident to start with. But at the end, he had been kissing her for real. The only boy that had ever showed any interest in her, had gotten knocked unconscious by her father. He probably hated her now.

"Loser, what are you doing?" Sasuke asks as he sees Naruto placing a bucket over the door.

"That will teach him not to be late. I mean it's one thing to do it to us. We are used to it. But Hinata shouldn't be made to wait around all day." He says and laughs.

"He's a Jonin. He's not going to fall for that." Sasuke mutters.

Hinata privately agreed with Sasuke. However, she decided not to say anything about this matter. It wasn't important. She didn't want her teammates to feel like she was playing favorites.

Kakashi comes in. The bucket falls and he gets hit with a dirty eraser. Sasuke blinks. He actually fell for it.

"Naruto." Kakashi growls.

"That's for making Hinata wait. It's one thing to do it to me and Sasuke, but come on. Hinata isn't used to your weirdness." He says.

"He's got a point." Sasuke concedes.

"Anyway, come on. I'm going to take you to the training field." Kakashi says.

The three Genin follow their Sensei. They all sit down. Kakashi shakes his head. He wasn't entirely certain how to manage this. He lived with two out of three of his students. It'd be impossible to be completely unbiased. He had to try though.

"Well why don't we start by introducing ourselves more. I'll go first. My name is Kakashi. I like a lot of things. I dislike a lot of things. My hobbies and dreams I don't really feel like telling you." He says cheerfully.

Hinata blinks. Well that was a whole lot of nothing. Still she didn't want to insult her new Sensei, So she remains quiet.

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki. I love ramen! I dislike the three minutes it takes to make it. My dream is to become Hokage!" He says.

"My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I like my perverted guardian. Naruto even though he's a loser. Training, tomatoes, and…Hinata. Not in that order. I dislike a lot of things, particularly fan girls and sweets. I have, I don't want to say a dream…because I will make it a reality. I'm going to kill a certain someone and restore my clan." He finishes.

"…Well that's progress. Normally he goes into brooding mode much sooner." Kakashi says cheerfully.

Sasuke twitches at Kakashi. How dare he ruin his badass image? He should smack him or shove a fireball down his pants.

"Hinata, your turn." Kakashi says kindly.

"Um ok-ay. My name is Hinata Hyuga. I like swimming, pressing flowers, cinnamon rolls, and my new team. I dislike…feeling helpless. My goal is to make my father proud of me." She finishes shyly.

"Very good, Hinata." Kakashi nods encouragingly.

"Now for your test. If you fail this, you go back to the Academy. You have to get a bell by the time the sun goes down." He explains.

"But there are three of us and only one b-ell, Kakashi Sensei." Hinata points out.

"Exactly." Kakashi says.

Sasuke doesn't waste anytime. He hurls a fireball jutsu at Kakashi. Naruto got the impression that bastard was annoyed by that brooding crack.

Whatever. It was totally accurate. Most of the time, Sasuke was cool. He was the brother Naruto never had. But once he got into one of his "moods" as Naruto called it, there was no talking to the guy.

"My, my…aren't you eager today?" Kakashi teases.

Honestly, the silver haired ninja was unsure if Sasuke was still sore about the brooding crack or if he was just showing off for Hinata. While Sasuke had stolen his book and seemed more than eager to learn about the finer points clan restoration, he had shown almost no interest in girls otherwise.

"I'm getting a bell." He informs him.

This was shame because Kakashi probably could have started a sweets shop with all the chocolate and other goodies Sasuke's admirers gave him. Most boys his age would have killed to be in such a position. But Sasuke didn't' seem to return any of his classmate's affection. He was polite of course, but never interested.

"We'll see about that." Kakashi replies.

Kakashi had begun to wonder if maybe Sasuke was just interested in older girls. Well he had been until the Kissing Interest. No one challenged a man like Hiashi Hyuga if there weren't real feelings there. He knew pride was certainly a factor, but that wasn't all of it.

Sasuke smirks. Naruto tackles Kakashi from behind. They had decided to use the Flash and Dash Technique. Sasuke would flash a fireball and distract the opponent. Naruto would dash in and tackle.

"Not bad. Good teamwork." Kakashi says and turns into a log.

"Byakugan!" Hinata calls out and looks around for their Sensei.

Sasuke races over to Hinata. Her eyes were just going to find Kakashi faster than his were. He wasn't sure what her range was, but he figured it was more than enough for this close range combat.

"Over there." She mumbles, but doesn't point.

If she pointed, Kakashi would pick up on it. He'd move. Sasuke nods at Naruto. For some strange reason, he raised his ring finger. It seemed to mean something to Naruto because he forms a Hell of a lot of shadow clones. Hinata looks at Sasuke in confusion.

"Code." He answers and heads off to join Naruto, producing a few clones of his own.

The two boys or….two hundred depending on how you looked at it, attack their guardian. Hinata blinks. Her teammates were to put it mildly, rather determined. Their hits for the most part were rather crude compared to the grace of the Jonin, but that was only to be expected.

She takes a deep breathe and runs over, joining them. Kakashi was outnumbered. He of course could have made his own clones. But he was mostly happy they were working together. He was surprised when Hinata entered the giant dog pile though. Sasuke took advantage of this and grabbed the damn bells.

"Only two bells." Kakashi reminds him.

Sasuke frowns. He tosses one to Naruto. Naruto had to go on. He was just starting to gain some measure of acceptance, at least with their peers. Being sent back to the Academy would be the ultimate humiliation for him. He couldn't do that to his best friend.

He walks over to Hinata and places the bell in her hand. He couldn't do it to Hinata either. She wanted to make her father proud. While, he personally didn't think that Hiashi's opinion mattered in the slightest, it mattered to Hinata. Sasuke was at the top of their class in the Academy. No one was going to think he was sent back because of a lack of skill. He'd just explain about the bell test. It'd be…annoying to lose a year. But he'd just move on next time.

Kakashi would still train him. Besides, the first year of being a Genin was a waste in his opinion anyway. Mostly it was babysitting, chasing stray animals, training, and doing other low level work. He'd probably benefit more from pushing his limits training on his own than chasing after stray cats.

"Sasuke, I couldn't take your bell." Hinata mumbles.

"It's fine. You need it more than I do." He tells her.

"YO, BASTARD! Are you out of your mind? No way am I leaving you behind! No way am I leaving Hinata behind either!" Naruto says.

"Loser, it's fine. You've worked too hard for this. I can just go again next year. It'll be boring at the Academy, but it's not a big deal." Sasuke tells him.

"You pass. You are all more concerned about your teammates than yourselves." Kakashi says.

"WE PASSED!" Naruto yells excitedly, Hinata smiles, and Sasuke gives a small smile.

"Hinata, if you like you can head home and tell your family the good news. It's late." Kakashi says.

"Thank you, Kakashi Sensei!" She says with a bright smile and runs off.

"Let's head home." Kakashi says.

Naruto and Sasuke follow their guardian. Kakashi hadn't formerly adopted them. But more or less everyone considered him to be their father and them to be basically brothers in all but blood and law.

He had offered at one point to make it official. But Sasuke remembered his biological father. He felt like it would be a betrayal.

Naruto didn't have such a hang up. But he didn't want to get adopted, if Sasuke wasn't. Besides it was as little weird to call someone only 14 years older than you, dad.

Kakashi understood their reasoning. It did hurt a bit. But he got over it quickly.

They lived with him. He took care of them. They might as well have been his sons. The silver haired ninja decided he probably wasn't going to have children of his own. Naruto and Sasuke were too much of a handful as it was sometimes. But he wouldn't trade them for the world.

"Alright!" Naruto yells excitedly and races off ahead of him.

Kakashi knew that the blonde would do this. He was counting on it really. He needed to speak with Sasuke privately and this provided the perfect opportunity.

"Sasuke, that was a very nice thing you did for Hinata. You were actually willing to go back to the Academy for her. Naruto, I understand the two of you are like brothers. But for someone you barely know, that was quite generous." He begins.

"Don't try your mind games on me. I'm not going to fall for it." Sasuke says as he walks alongside him.

"My mind games? Fall for what exactly?" He muses.

"You are trying to get me to tell you how I feel about Hinata. You are concerned I'll try something on a mission because I liked kissing her." He says and then curses.

Damn you Kakashi! Fuck. He'd walked right into that one. Think Sasuke. Think! He needed to do damage control right now. Ahhh!

"Ah so perhaps Hiashi had a reason to be so concerned. So you enjoyed kissing her." Kakashi says in that damn cheerful, smug voice that made Sasuke want to throttle him.

"It's really none of your business!" Sasuke scoffs.

"Sasuke, I am your guardian and your Sensei. I'm also Hinata's Sensei. If something is going on between my students that might effect their ability to perform as a team, it is my business. That and because I care about you." He says.

"It's not going to effect our ability to perform as a team." Sasuke assures him.

"Good. Did she kiss back?" Kakashi asks.

"…" Sasuke goes silent.

"I'll take that as a no. She was likely just in shock. I doubt it reflects negatively on your kissing abilities in the slightest." He says and actually pat pats Sasuke on the back.

"FIREBALL JUTSU!" Sasuke yells and sets Kakashi's Jonin vest on fire for revenge.

"Tsk. Tsk. Sasuke, do you think me an amateur. I understood what I was getting into when I took you in. I knew your clan was associated with fire and had all my clothes made fireproof." He says happily.

"Dammit." Sasuke growls.

"This is actually quite the milestone. Your first crush." He muses.

"…It's not a crush. I just liked the way her lips felt against mine and she tastes like watermelon." He says and mumbles the second part so quietly, that Kakashi wasn't sure if he actually heard it or imagined it.

"Watermelon? Hmm could just be a lipgloss." He states as if pondering it.

"It wasn't lipgloss. That was just…her." Sasuke says.

He didn't know how he knew this. He just did. Besides, Hinata was so shy. He highly doubted she wore any makeup, even one as modest as lipgloss.

"How romantic. You are becoming quite the little Romeo. Standing up against her father, offering her your slot, and making cute little statements such as that. Adorable really." Kakashi observes.

"If you call me adorable again, you better hope you fireproofed your nuts." Sasuke hisses.

"Ah that's my boy." He says and messes up Sasuke's hair.

Sasuke glares at Kakashi. Kakashi was impressed. Sasuke certainly had mastered the Death Glare. He decides not to embarrass him further, for tonight anyway. They follow Naruto home.

Kakashi goes to order them takeout. Naruto and Sasuke are in their room. Sasuke sensed a disturbance in the force. Naruto was going to do or say something stupider than usual. The youngest Uchiha had developed a sixth sense about these things.

"So…why'd Hiashi do that to you anyway?" Naruto asks.

"It's a long story. Let me summarize. He is a dick." Sasuke states.

"Oh come on. I'm your best friend! You can tell me." The blonde says.

"I'd rather not have you blab it all over the village. You suck at keeping secrets." Sasuke replies.

"Ah ha! So there is a secret!" The blonde exclaims, sounding very proud of himself for figuring this out.

"Not really. It was an accident…" Sasuke says.

"If it was an accident, why'd he knock you out?" The blue eyed ninja asks.

"Well I was talking to Hinata. She was worried about living up to her father's expectations after graduation. Then some idiot fell into me. So I fell on top of her. It looked like we were kissing when Iruka found us. So he called Hiashi and Kakashi in. Hiashi and I got into a fight over the fact that he is a lousy father." Sasuke summarizes.

"Oh…that would do it. Wait so you two kissed?!" He demands to know and his eyes were wide.

"Sorta. It was an accident. More like our lips touched." Sasuke partially lies.

His lips had done more touching than Hinata's. But she hadn't kissed back. So he didn't know whether or not to count it as a real kiss. She hadn't told him to stop either. It was all really confusing…

"If your lips touched, then it's a kiss." Naruto states firmly.

"I guess?" Sasuke doesn't sound so convinced.

"So do you like her?" Naruto asks.

"Of course I like her. She's nice. She's quiet. She doesn't stalk me." Sasuke answers.

"I mean as more than a friend." The blonde continues.

"Don't make this a bigger thing that it is. I have to kill Itachi before I could even think about getting a girlfriend." Sasuke warns the blonde.

"AH HA! But that means you do like her. You just want to kill that bastard first. Probably to protect her! That's unexpected sweet of you bastard." Naruto observes.

"You are such a loser. That is not what I said." Sasuke says and chucks a pillow at him.

Meanwhile, Hinata had gotten home. She informed her father that she had passed. He merely nodded his head. She sighs, she had wanted more acknowledgement.

"Well at least Kakashi Sensei seems nice. Naruto and Sasuke don't seem to mind that I was put on their team." She says happily and prepares for bed.

Speaking of Sasuke, she touches her lips. They still had a tingly sensation. It had started off an accident. But he had definitely been kissing her towards the end. She had been so shocked she had frozen. She should have kissed him back, stopped him, or done something other than just lay there!

He'd actually gone up against her father too! She'd never seen anyone challenge Hiashi. Granted, he ended up in the hospital…but it was the thought that counted. Sasuke had been willing to go back to the Academy for her as well. Did he actually like her?

"No one's ever noticed me before, besides them." She mumbles.

By them, she meant Naruto and Sasuke. They had saved her from some bullies when she was a small child. It was just Naruto's nature to try to save the day. Sasuke was…less predictable. But he tended to jump into the fray if someone was outnumbered or he didn't perceive it as a fair fight. What he considered a fair fight was more flexible than Naruto though.

Did he like her or had he just kissed her on instinct? Maybe she could even paw it off to curiosity. If he did like her, did she like him? She'd never really thought about boys that way before.

She knew that he was considered "cute" by the other girls. He was definitely strong. He was smart. But he'd always seemed so separated from his classmates. Oh he was polite. But there was a great distance there.

She figured it was because of the massacre. Honestly, it was a wonder that Naruto was as close to Sasuke as he was. Sasuke seemed to keep people at an arm's length.

"Should I say something to him?" She mumbles as she gets into bed.

She shakes her head. No. It would just make things awkward between them. They were teammates now. Besides, what was she going to say? She didn't even know what she did or didn't want at this point.

Now that she was over the shock of the fact that he had actually kissed her, she knew she had liked it. At least physically, it had felt very nice. But that didn't necessarily mean he wanted her to be his girlfriend. Did Uchihas even date?


	4. Chapter 4

Love Conquers All

Author's Note: Thank you for the reviews. In this chapter, we are making the Team Seven Kids all 16, except in flashbacks.

Chapter Notation: I have no idea what the Leaf's policy is when female ninjas get pregnant. So I made up my own. No pregnancies this chapter, Kakashi is just musing. Sasuke knew the Lion's Barrage before the Chunin Exams in this. (Not sure if that is the case in the show/manga.)

Chapter Warning: Sasuke gets a little rough here. But no permanent injuries. He's just trying to make Hinata stronger. I don't really view it as any different than when Naruto and Sasuke get rough during training. If you don't like the idea of Sasuke training hard with Hinata to make her stronger, you might want to skip the first italicized scene. ^^

Chapter Four

"Hey, Hinata. What do you got there?" Naruto asks curiously.

"Oh it's the team album that I made." Hinata says with a smile.

They'd been on the same team for three years. Somewhere along the way, Hinata had almost successfully vanquished her stutter. It still showed up now and then when she was extremely flustered, but overall it was gone. Her male teammates, including Kakashi were proud of her for this.

"Can I see?" Naruto asks.

"Sure. It's not much. Just some pictures and keepsakes." She warns him.

Hinata smiles. She was lucky that she had two teammates she got along with. Naruto was by far the more friendly and chattier of the two boys. But Sasuke was the more serious of the two and the most helpful when it came to training. He never went easy on her.

It was at this point that Sasuke and Kakashi came back, carrying the food. They had successfully completed their mission. It was a simple mission. Team Seven had to deliver some scrolls to another ninja village.

The scrolls were all about trade and other economical matters. They had stopped in a little civilian village on the way home to get some hot food. Ninja rations got you through the day, but they weren't exactly tasty.

"If the loser gets to see whatever it is, I want to see it." Sasuke states as he hands Hinata her cinnamon rolls.

Hinata smiles and takes them. She felt her face heating up slightly. Sasuke's kindness was more subtle than Naruto. But he clearly remembered her favorite food and got it for her. It was a sweet, subtle gesture.

"You are such a bastard sometimes! You know that, right Sasuke?" Naruto huffs.

"Yes, I know." Sasuke smirks.

"Here's your ramen, Naruto." Kakashi says and hands the blonde his food.

"Thanks, Kakashi Sensei! At least you are nice, unlike the bastard over here." Naruto glares at him.

Kakashi by this point, was used to Naruto and Sasuke's antics. This type of bickering was a standard part of daily life on Team Seven. Even Hinata was used to it. The bluenette no longer tried to break up their "fights."

"Some things never change." He chuckles.

Kakashi really wished that the Academy would make more efforts to increase recruiting amongst girls. It was just a fact of life for as long as he could remember that the boys always outnumbered the girls by a 2 to 1 margin.

It wasn't that the Academy discouraged girls. It would accept any that would apply. It was just families were very reluctant to send their daughters off to be ninjas, knowing that if they got pregnant their ninja careers were generally over.

Did the Leaf force women to retire from ninja duty after having children? No. Of course not. It allowed at least a year of paid maternity leave. They took the average yearly income of the woman from the past five years (or however long she'd been on duty, if she was still a new ninja) and gave her that for the "Maternity Year." There was no way they could allow a pregnant woman to go on missions and they gave her three months to bond with her new baby (or babies if she had twins, triplets, etc.)

Most female ninjas generally just chose to retire from active duty, after they had a kid. They wanted to be around to see their child(ren) grow up. Kakashi was sure that ninja fathers experienced a similar drive, but for some reason were less likely to retire from active duty.

"Thank you, Sasuke." Hinata mumbles as she lets the boys see the book.

Honestly, it almost never failed. If you put two teenage boys together with a teenage girl, a love triangle was the result nine times out of ten. Thankfully, for Kakashi's sanity, Naruto didn't appear to have any feelings for Hinata beyond friendship. Hinata definitely enjoyed Naruto's company, but it was all on a very innocent level.

"Anytime." He says and looks over her shoulder at the book, alongside Naruto.

Sasuke was another matter entirely. Kakashi wasn't sure how deep his feelings for the Hyuga Heiress were. But they were there. At the very least, it was a long lasting crush. Was it actually love? He didn't know.

The youngest Uchiha had kept his word though. Whatever his feelings were for Hinata, they didn't negatively impact their missions. Sasuke could be very professional, when he wanted to be.

It was mostly little things, that let Kakashi know something was going on. Sasuke had a good memory. He clearly remembered their introductions that day, as evidence by him fetching Hinata cinnamon rolls without her asking for them. He trained with her harder than Naruto did. Kakashi wasn't sure what ideas Fugaku had instilled in that boy about dealing with the opposite sex. But apparently the whole don't hit girls thing, yeah that had been skipped over. He "played" rougher with Hinata than Naruto did.

Naruto was reluctant to seriously train with Hinata. He didn't want to hurt her. Kakashi couldn't help but remember the first time "his boys" as he called them had trained with Hinata.

 **Warning Training Flashback: Skip if You Only Want Gentle Sasuke**

 _"Don't be scared. I'm not going to hurt you. We are just gonna practice throwing some punches and stuff. I won't go all out." Naruto promised Hinata._

 _"Okay!" Hinata had said._

 _Kakashi saw Sasuke roll his eyes from nearby. Clearly the Uchiha was not impressed by his "brother's" reassurances to Hinata. Sasuke was going to do something stupid._

 _Yup. He did something stupid alright. He attacked Hinata with the Lion's Barrage, while Naruto was talking to her. It was…brutal. Hinata was not a violent person by nature. She definitely wasn't prepared for the intensity Sasuke's kicks and punches._

 _"SASU-KE!" She cries out in pain when one of the hits connects with her shoulder._

 _"If you want the pain to stop, learn how to block." He tells her as he continues his barrage._

 _"KAKASHI SENSEI, DO SOMETHING! He's hurting Hinata!" Naruto cried out._

 _"Yes, he's hurting her. But in the long run he's helping her. I don't like seeing her in pain anymore than you do Naruto. But he is right. Enemy ninjas aren't going to go easy any of you. So it is best you train to your full potential." Kakashi says._

 _WHACK. SMACK. BAM. Sasuke was relentless. Hinata was starting to get some black and blur marks. Oh yeah she was going to have bruises._

 _Slowly but surely though, a few of the hits didn't land. She started block about as many of the hits as were getting through. Hinata's Byakugan activated and it looked like she was getting angry about her teammate's rough treatment of her. She locks up his chakra._

 _"AHHH FUCK!" Sasuke winces and falls off her._

 _"So-rry Sasuke. I had to. It hurt too much." Hinata says as she gets up._

 _"Don't apolo-gize for winning." He says._

 _"So it's over? You won't hit me anymore?" She asks._

 _"Not today. You got better. I just couldn't stand to see that loser, babying you. You aren't weak. He shouldn't treat you like you are." Sasuke states._

 _"I don't think she's weak! Hinata's really strong. I just don't like beating up girl's like you bastard!" Naruto scoffs._

' _"Idiot. Do you think the fact she's a girl is going to protect her when we are out on missions?" Sasuke growls at him._

 _"This isn't a mission. This is just training!" Naruto snaps back._

 _"Kakashi, smack some sense into the loser. Hinata, I have some pain medicine in my pouch, if you want it. I'm sorry that I hurt you." He murmurs._

 _It was genuine concern. Sasuke's way of expressing affection was…strange. But it was real. He would rather hurt Hinata himself now and force her to get stronger, than risk her not being prepared on the field._

 **Ending of Training Scene**

"Oh look, there's us on our first day as a team." Naruto says happily.

"Yeah." Sasuke says and looks at it.

Hinata was smiling shyly. Kakashi was messing up both Kakashi and Sasuke's hair with a fond smile underneath his mask. This had earned a Death Glare from Sasuke and a glower from Naruto.

"Your hair was shorter back than." Naruto says to Hinata.

"Yeah. Do you think I should cut it?" She asks, as it had now grown to her back.

"No!" Sasuke says.

"Whoa, bastard. Didn't know you cared so much about hair. I guess it makes sense. You must spend hours in the bathroom primping. How the Hell do you and Kakashi get your hair to stand that way anyway?" Naruto asks.

"I do not primp! It's naturally spiky." Sasuke says and twitches.

"Oh come. I can just imagine you in the bathroom, getting your feathers ready like a peacock. Can't argue with the results. Definitely gets the girls' attention!" He chimes happily.

"Sorry about this Hinata." Sasuke mutters and he takes one of the cinnamon rolls, hurling it at Naruto's head.

"OWE! You are such a bastard! If they knew how abusive you were, they wouldn't chase you so much." Naruto whines.

Kakashi just shakes his head in amusement. He heads over. The silver haired ninja was a little curious to see what Hinata had put together.

"What's that white and red flower supposed to represent?" Kakashi asks.

"Oh that's from our mission in the Land of the Waves." Hinata says.

"…That's not a naturally white and red flower, is it? It's stained with blood?" He inquires.

"Yes, I found it…after Sasuke woke up. It should have gotten crushed, but it didn't. So I thought it was like our team. So we should keep it." She explains.

"Ah. I see, fitting."

Hinata frowns looking at the flower. She'd almost lost one of her most precious people that day. She'd come to care about all her teammates and Kakashi Sensei. But Sasuke was always special. He was the only person who had ever challenged her father and actually lived to tell the tale.

 _The battle had been raging for awhile. Hinata, Sasuke, and Naruto were trapped inside Haku's ice mirrors. All of them looked like human pin cushions at this point. Haku had been about to finish Hinata off. But Sasuke had shoved her to the ground and protected her from the brunt of the seemingly lethal attack._

 _That had set Naruto off. He had "gone Kyubbi" as Hinata would later come to call it. She had watched Sasuke "die" in her arms. It was all her fault! Her teammate had died because she was too weak and Naruto might die too!_

 _Somehow, they managed to defeat the Mist Ninjas. As much as she wanted to, she couldn't hate Haku. She knew why he did what he did and he had moved onto the next life with his Master. She sobs, wishing that Sasuke hadn't as well. He was so young._

 _"Bastard! Wake up! Wake up!" He had cried desperately and shook his "brother" in an effort to wake him._

 _Sasuke reminded unresponsive. Hinata hugged him tightly. That's when she heard a groan of pain. She had shoved a few of the needles in deeper, but it had woken him._

 _"Sasuke!" She and Naruto yelled out at the same time._

 _"You d-idn't really think I was going to d-ie, did you?" He asks smugly, though the effect was ruined when he coughed up blood._

 _They had all been rushed to the nearest hospital. It was not a fun day for Hinata. Getting hundreds of needles yanked out of you, was not a pleasant experience. She seriously didn't recommend it. But it didn't matter though. Sasuke and Naruto were okay. They were all okay._

Hinata continues showing them more of the scrapbook. Naruto was busy with his ramen and only half paying attention. Kakashi occasionally looked, but mostly was focused on his own book. Sasuke though, sat behind her and listened to her explanations. He didn't say much, but she knew that he was paying attention. There was a quiet attentiveness about him.

She smiles and leans back against him. He wasn't exactly holding her. But it was sorta close.

Sasuke was always warm. He told her once that Uchihas were naturally a degree or two warmer than most people. Something to do with their fire affinity.

"So you really don't think I should cut it again?" She asks curiously.

"No. Keep it long." He informs her with such a seriousness, that it made her giggle.

"Why does it matter?" She asks.

"When it gets long, that means you lived long enough for it to grow out. That and it just looks better this way." He answered.

Those were true. But they weren't all of his reasoning to prefer Hinata with longer hair. His mother had had long silky hair like Hinata's, only hers had been black instead of blue. He liked the way Hinata's hair felt.

He took every chance he could to run his fingers through her hair during training. He made it look like accidents of course, but he liked the way it felt. That and…the thought of pulling her hair during certain activities that damn book had listed, was appealing.

"Alright, I'll keep it long then." She says.

"Good." He replies.

Sasuke wasn't twelve anymore. He understood what he felt now. It was lust and affection. Maybe even love. He didn't know. He'd never been in romantic love before, so how would he know?

He did know one thing though. It was far more than he felt for any of the other girls in the village. Sasuke wanted her. She was like a balm on her soul.

She was so kind and gentle. But there was a fierce determination to prove herself that he could relate to. He had once wanted to make his father proud more than anything. And yeah…the fact that she had "blossomed" a lot more than the other girls and had a curvy figure, that helped too.

"Sasuke?" Hinata asks.

"What is it?" The youngest Uchiha replies.

"Your Sharingan…is on again. You should probably have Kakashi Sensei have a look at you." She says in concern.

God dammit! Not again. Kakashi had explained to him what this meant a couple years ago. The Sharingan could be triggered by strong emotions. That was usually anger or loss, but apparently lust could also do the trick. Thankfully, Hinata seemed oblivious to that fact. Otherwise things would have gotten awkward and quickly.

"Yeah. I'll have him look at it." He agrees.

Hinata shivers a bit. He was doing it again. She wasn't sure why, but sometimes his Sharingan would activate at random. He was normally looking at her intensely when it happened.

She didn't think that Sasuke was mad at her. Sasuke when he got angry, wasn't the type to be subtle about it. But something was definitely going on.

"Well we should get home." Kakashi says cheerfully.

Team Seven heads back to the village. When they get there, Sasuke enters his district. He blinks when he noticed that he had a messenger hawk sitting on his window sill.

"Here boy." Sasuke says and reaches for the scroll, while giving the hawk a treat for his troubles.

 _ **To Sasuke Uchiha,**_

 _ **I would like to speak with you as soon as possible. If you are free at 8 P.M. this evening meet me at the training grounds. If not, respond back with a more favorable time.**_

 _ **Hiashi Hyuga, Clan Head of the Hyugas.**_

"Damn it." He growls.

He knew he would have to deal with Hiashi sooner or later. He sighs. Well he might as well get it over with. He heads to the training grounds.

"I am pleased you could make it." Hiashi says.

"Can we skip the pleasantries? What did you want?" Sasuke asks.

"Always so direct. Very well. I am aware of what has been going on during your missions." He says.

"I didn't touch her, other than training." Sasuke protests.

"Yes, I know that. If you had, you would be on your knees. I knew your father, fairly well actually. I'm aware of all the things that can trigger your Sharingan." He states bluntly.

Sasuke wince. Shit this was bad. Hopefully, he hadn't told Hinata. Sasuke doubted it. Hinata would have been blushing or avoiding him. She had seemed to be her normal self on their missions.

"I haven't told her. I'd rather protect her innocence as long as possible." He says.

"Oh. Good." Sasuke says.

"If you try to seduce her, I will find out about it. I dislike her being away from home, with a man who clearly has desires for her. I dislike the situation. But I am also are that no one will fight harder to protect her than someone who is in love with her. I consider it only proper to warn you, if you do manage to seduce her, you are marrying her. My clan is a proper one. We do not believe in engaging in such…activities with anyone who isn't our intended or our spouse." He warns him.

"You're right, I'm going to protect her. But there is no trying involved. AFTER I kill Itachi, we are going to be together. I'm well aware of your clan's…old fashioned views on love and sexuality. I'm going to marry her anyway. So your threats have no bite to them. Go bark at someone who gives a damn." Sasuke growls.

"I think sometimes because of your gifts, you forget how to address your superiors." Hiashi observes.

"I'm not talking to a superior. I'm talking to you." Sasuke snaps.

"I do like your spirit. But I am not going to tolerate such disrespect much longer. Must I send you to the hospital again? He asks.

"I'm not the same kid anymore. If you try that again, it will be you that ends up in the hospital." Sasuke tells him.

"And if you continue to threaten my student, it will be by my hand." Kakashi warns him, flickering in behind Hiashi's back.

"Kakashi, always as pleasure." Hiashi says bitingly.

"Oh yes, how are this fine day?" Kakashi says as he holds a kunai to the back of Hiashi's neck.

"Well. I was just explaining things to Sasuke. He's a bright boy. I'm sure he will catch on quickly." Hiashi says.

"Oh I'm sure that Sasuke already thought of all those issues you raised LONG before now. Did you know that he read one of Jirayia's books when he was twelve? It was my fault. I shouldn't have left it out. Trust me, there is nothing you have to say to him that he doesn't already know." He says a little too cheerfully.

A loud THUD is heard. Hiashi had fainted. Sasuke blinks and pokes him with a stick. Yeah, it seemed Kakashi hadn't lost his touch.

"You really have to teach me how you do that one day." Sasuke muses.

"Oh it's quite simple. Most people are rather bashful when it comes to anything sexually related being discussed. This is particularly true for a man like Hiashi. He's so cold. It still amazes me that he has two daughters. Kakashi says and offers his hand to Sasuke.

"He really is such an ice dick." Sasuke smirks and takes his guardian's hand, teleporting home with him.

"Sasuke, be nice to your future father-in-law." Kakashi chuckles.

"…How much did you overhear?" He asks.

"All of it. I saw the messenger hawk leaving and you forgot to destroy the scroll. So I read it and arrived shortly after you did." The Copy Cat Ninja admits.

"You know it's not polite to spy on people." Sasuke admonishes him.

"It's also not polite to address your elders like you did with him. But that didn't stop you either." He points out.

"True." Sasuke says and heads into their house.

Unbeknownst to them, they were being watched by a pair of crimson red eyes. Itachi tilts his head. Well that was unexpected.

"Well that was unexpected." He mutters in amusement.

Sasuke seemed to have a crush. The fact that it was on a Hyuga was an irony that Itachi could fully appreciate. The two clans had always had an unspoken rivalry. It was only natural considering they both had bloodlines related to their eyes and such drastically different lifestyles.

He smiles. Truthfully, Itachi didn't expect Kakashi to take Sasuke in. But he had. It didn't really matter though. Sasuke was still doing exactly what he expected. Clearly he wanted to kill him. Then he could be seen as the hero and start off with a clean slate. He quickly takes his medication and heads off to join Kisame. He had appearances to keep up after all.


	5. Chapter 5

Love Conquers All

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. Unfortunately, the reviews are glitching on this site. I can still read them in my email though and try to respond to those that I can.

 **New Story:** It's a Hinata x Shino story and called **My Butterfly.** It was a request and is a one shot. Not sure who would be interested, but if you are willing to give an unconventional pairing a chance, I'd appreciate it. I understand if you are only Sasuke x Hinata shippers though. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter Notation: Everyone loves a jealous Sasuke and Neji lives in this story. Why? Because I say so lol. Warning ending is sugary sweet. Cavities may result. ;) Sasuke can be very smooth when he wants to be.

Chapter Five

Sasuke Uchiha was now 18 years old. This meant his life was getting a whole lot more annoying. Now he was technically old enough to get married. His fan girls were now the absolute ban of his existence. He should have told them all off years ago instead of politely humoring them. Take this morning for example…

 _"Oh Sasuke, you got a few things in the mail." Kakashi said and handed him a few packages and letters._

 _"Thanks." Sasuke replied and he opened one of the packages._

 _He immediately shut it. He did not need Kakashi seeing THAT. He'd never let him hear the end of it._

 _"What is it?" The silver haired ninja asked._

 _"Nothing. It's stupid. Just more chocolates." Sasuke lied._

 _"If it was just chocolate, you wouldn't have closed it so fast. Let me see." He admonished Sasuke._

 _"No. It's my mail. So it's private. Buzz off." He warned Kakashi and scowled at his beloved guardian._

 _Kakashi by now was immune to Sasuke's scowls. He grabs the box and looks inside. Inside was a pair of fuzzy pink handcuffs and a note._

 _To my dearest Sasuke,_

 _I thought that you might be interested in trying these out with me._

 _"Well that's quite the…interesting offer. I must say it's a step above chocolates." Kakashi chuckled._

 _"It's not funny." Sasuke growled._

 _"Hmm let's see what else you have here." He ignored Sasuke and opened another._

 _Kakashi pulls out a red lacey lingerie set. He blinks. Damn, where were these girls when he was Sasuke's age?_

 _"Stupid sluts." Sasuke sighed and smacked his forehead._

 _"Now, now. This is quite lovely lingerie. At least she has good taste." Kakashi defended the girl._

 _"Uh huh." Sasuke said and clearly he was unimpressed._

 _Kakashi skimmed one of the letters. He blinked. Girl could give Jirayia a good run for his money when it came to erotic literature. He was actually impressed._

 _"Well that was…interesting." He stated._

 _"Stop going through my mail, you damn pervert." Sasuke snarls._

 _"I am your guardian. It is my job to love, protect, and embarrass you. Going through your mail allows me to do all three at once. Think of it as multitasking." He chuckled._

"Damn, bastard. Kakashi is a FREAK. Did you see that? He's got fuzzy handcuffs and lingerie down there. Wonder when he got a girlfriend?" The blonde muses.

"Yes, yes he is. No idea." Sasuke lies.

If Naruto wanted to believe that Kakashi had a girlfriend, let him. There was no way that he was going to tell the blonde the truth. His best friend would never let him live it down.

Meanwhile, Hinata wasn't a happy camper to put it mildly. She tried to be nice to everyone as a general rule of thumb. Maybe she had been a little too nice. There was a Jonin who was hitting on her.

Honestly, she was flattered at first. But she wasn't interested. She had politely tried to excuse herself from the conversation. But no dice. She sighs, she really hoped she wasn't going to have to actually hurt him.

"What's your hurry, gorgeous?" He asks.

"My father wanted to have lunch together. I don't want to be late." She tells him.

"Awe. That's sweet. Daddy's little princess, huh?" He questions.

"Not exactly…" Hinata mutters.

"Well if that's the case, wouldn't you have more fun with me? You can just send him a message. I'm sure he'll understand. I'm sure you will have wayyyy more fun with me than him." He says with a wink.

"No. You see he's VERY strict. He'll get upset. You wouldn't like my father when he's upset." She warns him.

"Oh don't worry. I'll protect you. So what do you say we go back to my place and have some real fun?" He continues.

Back at Kakashi's "bachelor pad," the Copy Cat Ninja noticed something. They were out of milk. He shakes his head.

"Sasuke, would you mind picking up some milk? I'd ask Naruto to do it, but I know he'd stop at the ramen shop. I'd rather not wait around all day to start on dinner." He explains.

Kakashi had learned how to cook. He was far from a master chef. But now his food was edible.

The silver haired man usually cooked if Sasuke didn't feel like it. Considering how annoyed Sasuke had been at the _Gifts Incident,_ Kakashi was positive that the Uchiha wasn't going to be in the mood to cook tonight.

It was a pity. The boy really did know how to cook. If Sasuke ever retired from ninja life, he would easily be able to change professions. Well in Kakashi's opinion anyway.

"Sure." Sasuke says and takes the money.

He lazily stretches as he heads to the market. It was as nice day. He wasn't really in a rush. Kakashi could wait after he acted like such a prick this morning.

Sasuke smirks. It'd be fun to make the older man wait on HIM for a change. That thought appealed to his more sadistic side greatly.

He was walking by some of the booths at the market, when he caught a familiar flash of dark blue hair. Sasuke smiles. Well maybe he could say hello to his beautiful teammate before grabbing the milk. That's' when he overheard the conversation between her and another ninja and Sasuke saw red.

 _"No. You see he's VERY strict. He'll get upset. You wouldn't like my father when he's upset."_ He overhears Hinata warn the other ninja.

Sasuke had clearly missed the beginning of this conversation. But it didn't take a genius to figure out that Hinata was using her strict father as an excuse. Hinata was too nice to tell the guy to go fuck himself, that she wasn't interested.

 _"Oh don't worry. I'll protect you. So what do you say we go back to my place and have some real fun?"_ The Uchiha heard the other man suggest.

"I get that you are an idiot. But let me dumb it down for you, she's not interested." Sasuke says.

"Hey, stay out of this asshole." The man warns him, not bothering to look back to see who was addressing him.

"Afraid I can't do that. You see that's my teammate you are sexually harassing." He informs him.

The man freezes. Shit! Hinata's teammates were well known as being Naurto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha. The man doubted that the lovable blonde idiot even knew what sexual harassment was. So that meant that he was dealing with Sasuke. He was so fucked.

"I was just…trying to get to know her. You know, I wanted to become friends." He offers.

"Oh really? Well that's great. It's important to make friends. Let me introduce to a new friend. He's called, _The wall."_ Sasuke says and he grabs the other man, hurling him straight into the wall.

"AHHH FUCK!" The man cries out when he hit's the wall with a loud crashing.

His entire world was spinning. He wasn't sure if some bones had been crushed on the impact. But he wouldn't be surprised. He needed to get away from the Sasukes. Yes, that was Sasukes plural. He was seeing double. Fuck. He probably had a concussion.

"Such language. You really shouldn't speak that way when a lady is present. Didn't your mother, teach you any manners?" Sasuke mocks and he apparently wasn't done.

He grabs the other man by the collar and slams him into the ground. Sasuke's Sharingan was whirling. He was pissed. Hinata watches the entire scene with wide eyes.

"S-asuke?" She asks.

"Yes, Hinata?" He asks as he slams his fist underneath the man's ribs, forcing him to cough up some blood.

"Um I think that he's met enough new friends today. The wall and ground…that's two. Maybe you should stop before he meets the third friend, Mr. Stretcher?" She mumbles.

"I don't know. I think he should meet Mr. Stretcher. He's very friendly." Sasuke says.

"Sasuke." She says warningly.

"Alright. I think he got the point anyway. He's not worth dirtying my hands further." Sasuke states and tosses some money at the building's owner for repairs, with some extra for the hassle.

"Your fucking nuts! All I did was hit on her! I wasn't even touching her or anything. Psycho!" The man says between coughs.

"Please be quiet. Sasuke has a bit of a temper." Hinata warns.

"GEE YOU THINK?!" The man asks incredulously.

"Hinata, didn't you say that your father wanted to see you? You should probably get going." Sasuke says.

"Yes, I did." She says and leans over to whisper into Sasuke's ear.

"Please don't kill him. He's just being stupid." She pleads.

"He's not worth killing. I gave up swatting insects years ago." Sasuke says with a sexy smirk that made Hinata's heart skip a beat.

"Thank you." She says with a smile and runs off.

"Anytime." He says and than glances at the man who was trying to crawl off.

"You are lucky. Hinata is too nice sometimes and you really aren't worth enduring a late dinner." He states and heads off.

Call it sadism, but Sasuke couldn't resist getting one last shot in. The man was still laying on the ground. Sasuke kicks up some dirt underneath his sandals as he heads off, right into the man's eyes. He smirks when he hears the pervert cuss him out. Maybe today wasn't so bad after all.

Hinata heads back to her estate. Her father actually didn't want to see her for lunch. It had been a white lie. She really didn't want to hurt the random ninja's feelings. But she wasn't interested and needed an excuse to get out of there. Unfortunately, it hadn't worked.

Fortunately, she had a male teammate that happened to be nearby. Said teammate wasn't shy about throwing his weight around. Naruto and Sasuke were both fiercely protective of her. But she got the impression that Sasuke's protection included a lethal hue to it, that Naruto's wouldn't include outside of a mission.

"Lady Hinata, are you alright? You seem to have a great deal on your mind." One of the branch members inquires.

"Oh I'm fine." She says with a smile.

"Good." He says, nodding his head, and returns to his other duties.

Sasuke didn't realize it, but he was being watched. This time it was by another family member. Call him what you want. Tobi, Madara, Obito…it didn't matter. He would assume whatever identity was necessary to achieve his goals.

"He's forged strong bonds here. Unfortunate, that will make winning him over difficult. And he was taken in by my old teammate, how touching." Obito mutters to himself.

"You aren't going near my brother." Itachi hisses emerges from the shadows.

"That's rather hypocritical of you. Considering you murdered most of his family, I don't think that your protection means much to him at this point." Obito chuckles cruelly.

"You know the circumstances behind that." Itachi hisses.

"You are in no condition to fight me. How long do you think that medication can buy you? Another six months at most, I would think." He muses.

"Long enough and don't underestimate." Itachi warns him.

"There's no reason for me to fight a dead man." He taunts and soon disappears.

Itachi growls. Dammit! He had to keep Obito away from Sasuke as long as possible. When he died, he'd transfer his visual prowess to him. Hopefully that would get the job done.

Obito returns to his hideout. He shakes his head in amusement. Sasuke certainly had inherited the trademark Uchiha temper. He was surprised that man was still breathing honestly. Clearly, he had feelings for the Hyuga girl.

"Yes, this could definitely work to my advantage." He mutters feeling oddly pleased about this latest development.

Now that was ironic. The Hyugas and Uchihas had always been on icily cordial terms at best. At worst, they were one step away from a Clan Feud.

Well no matter, he supposed. Actually, this could work to his advantage. Surely, there was a way he could use the girl.

Sasuke returns to his home. He heads into the kitchen and sets the milk down. Seeing Kakashi giving him _The Look,_ he sighs. There was no possible way that Kakashi had found out already, was there?

 _The Look_ was the closest that Kakashi got to normal parenting. It was that look that said, _I know what you did. I don't approve. So don't even try bullshitting me._ Sasuke HATED _The Look_ with a fiery passion.

"Sasuke, what have I told you about your temper?" Kakashi asks.

"That I should use it to kill as many perverts as possible?" He asks hopefully.

"Sasuke." He says warningly.

"How'd you even find out? It happened like ten minutes ago, MAX. Did you even leave the house?" He questions.

"Sasuke, I have ninja dogs. They keep a close eye on this village for me and on you two. Because I KNOW you two. You are always getting into trouble." The silver haired man points out.

"Well that's accurate." Sasuke admits.

"Did you really had to throw him into a wall and into the dirt?" Kakashi inquires sarcastically.

"Yes, I did. Hinata is too nice to do it herself. As her teammate and as a gentleman, I have an obligation to take out the trash like that." He says in a bored tone.

"Uh huh. That man was coughing up blood, Sasuke. I can understand threatening him verbally. I could overlook a punch… but he lost two teeth." Kakashi continues.

"Only two? Damn I was aiming for at least three." The youngest Uchiha mutters.

"Sasuke!" Kakashi growls.

"What? That creep was hitting on Hinata, when she clearly was NICELLY telling him to get lost." He states and honestly didn't see the need to defend himself, the pervert had DESERVED worse than Sasuke gave him.

"And you weren't just rough on him because you were jealous?" Kakashi asks in amusement.

"I don't get jealous of insects." Sasuke replies in a tone that was more glacial than the Snow Country in the depths of winter.

"Of course not." Kakashi states in amusement.

"I don't. I just don't like trash like that even THINKING about touching her." He clarifies.

"You are rather possessive for someone who hasn't even told her of your feelings for her." Kakashi observes.

"I'll tell her AFTER I kill Itachi, when it's SAFE." Sasuke snarls.

"I understand. Well I suppose I should start on dinner, unless you wanted to cook tonight?" His guardian asks hopefully.

"No way in Hell." Sasuke states with a smirk and walks off.

The next day, Sasuke goes to the lake. It was a warm summer day. He didn't have a mission. Neither did most of the other members of the Rookie Nine. They all decided to take advantage of this and go swimming.

"CANNONBALL!" Kiba cries out as he jumps into the water.

"I'm going to work on my tan." Ino says as she lounges out on a blanket.

"Ino pig, are you afraid to get wet?" Sakura taunts and dives into the water.

"THE POWER OF YOUTH!" Lee cries out and makes a big splash.

"Ah this is great." Naruto says as he heads into the water.

"Hey, Shikamaru…did you bring the food?" Sasuke hears Choji asks and shakes his head in amusement.

"Yeah, of course I did." The lazy ninja replies.

"Come on Neji! It's okay to have fun sometimes!" Tenten informs her stoic boyfriend. (At least Sasuke thought they were dating.)

Hell, even Shino seemed to be having a good time. The aloof bug lover had waded into the water. Shino was surprisingly…tone. Sasuke wasn't into men, but the girls definitely seemed to like what they saw.

 _Please God, let the fan girls harass HIM now._ Sasuke sends up a silent prayer to whatever deity might be listening. The youngest Uchiha wasn't picky.

"Hinata, come here. I'll put some suntan lotion on you." Sasuke offers.

"Alr-ight." She says and walks over.

"Good. Sit down." Sasuke gestures to the grass by him.

Hinata sat down. He smiles. Sasuke pulls her hair to the side and decides to start on her neck.

Fuck! Her skin was so soft and warm. Her scent was that of jasmine and lavender. It was a soothing, alluring combination that ensnared his senses. Was it possible to get high off of someone's scent? Sasuke was beginning to wonder.

Hinata blushes. She felt Sasuke's hands on her neck. They were firm but gentle. Attentive was the word that she would say would best describe it. That and very thorough.

"I'm glad you went with a one piece suit." He murmurs in her ear.

"Wh-y?" She squeaks.

"After dealing with that idiot, I don't think I have the patience to deal with the mob of idiots a bikini would have drawn." He murmurs.

"You don't have to protect me." She tells him.

"I know. I want to though." Sasuke says and glides his hands over her arms, spreading more of the lotion.

Hinata shivers. It was still a very much a platonic tough. But there was something about the way he slide his hands over her arms, so slowly and deliberately that was highly suggestive. Maybe she was imagining it?

"There you are bastard! Come on, get in the water!" Naruto hollers at him.

"Idiot. I'm helping Hinata." Sasuke mutters.

"I'm pretty sure that she can handle getting lotion on her arms." The blonde counters.

"Hinata, can you wait a minute? I think the loser, wants his daily ass kicking. He gets so annoying if he doesn't get it." He says with a smirk.

"S-ure." She says and blinks as Sasuke heads over to Naruto.

It didn't take long for them to exchange blows. To civilians or even most ninjas it looked like a fight had broken out. But this was just play fighting. Sasuke and Naruto's version of play fighting was most people's definition of a barroom brawl though.

Hinata had gotten used to it over the years. The two loved each other fiercely. They usually expressed this brotherly affection by trading blows.

She didn't understand it. But she had come to accept it. That was just who Sasuke and Naruto were. There was no point in getting upset over it. They'd beat each other black and blue, but they'd never do permanent damage to their "brother."

"You hit like a girl!" Naruto calls out to Sasuke.

"You sexist loser!" Sasuke yells and whacks him.

Hinata laughs and she shakes her head. She was surprised when the other girls walked over and sat down next to her. She offers them a friendly smile. Then she gulps. She really didn't like that look in their eyes. It was…scary.

"So are you and Sasuke, you know?" Ino asks.

"You know what?" She asks in confusion.

"Dating." Sakura clarifies.

"Oh no." Hinata answers.

"I heard that he knocked some guy's teeth out for hitting on you." Tenten muses.

"Well it wasn't ALL of his teeth. It was just a couple. He was just trying to protect me. Naruto would have done the same." She mumbles.

"Nah. Naruto's an angel. He might have slugged the guy, but not hard enough to knock out teeth or leave a dent in the wall." Sakura argues.

"And I don't see Naruto, putting suntan lotion on you." Ino says.

"Oh geez. The girls have Hinata cornered." Naruto mutters.

"You've got to be kidding." Sasuke sighs.

"Alright, bastard. We have to save her from the harpies. Let's do _Operation Six Pack."_ He says.

"We are so NOT calling it that." Sasuke scoffs.

"It's an awesome name!" Naruto protests.

"It's a stupid name. But we can argue about it later. You do it this time. I'm tired of getting…stuff in the mail." Sasuke says.

"Pft! Who would have thought you were so shy?" Naruto taunts.

"I'm not shy. I just don't like strutting for people I have no interest in." He counters.

"Alright. Alright. I got this bastard. Watch and learn." The blonde says and heads over to the girls.

"Hey. Sakura, Ino, Tenten, and Hinata." Naruto says.

Sasuke was grateful that Naruto was no longer the scrawny little kid that he had made friends with. He darts over and grabs Hinata's hand. The youngest Uchiha drags her off.

Mission accomplished! The Princess was saved. Naruto had distracted the harpies. Sasuke smiles and leads her away from the others, to the waterfall.

"That's better. Sorry. I didn't expect them to fucking swarm you like that." Sasuke says.

"It's okay. H-ow long do you think we have until they realize we are gone?" She asks curiously.

"I'd say at least five minutes. I don't think they know about the waterfall though." He muses.

"Good. They are a little scary sometimes." She sighs in relief.

"How do you think I feel? One of them stole my toothbrush once. What she did with it, I have no idea. I don't want to know." Sasuke informs her.

"That is…creepy." Hinata agrees

"Super creepy." He affirms.

"How'd you find out about this place anyway?" She asks.

"Aoda. He got thirsty one time when I summoned him and found it." Sasuke answers.

"Oh. Maybe I should try to get a Summoning Contract." She says.

"Won't work." He warns her.

"Why not?" She questions.

"I don't think they have summoning contracts to call the other Angels down here." He states.


	6. Chapter 6

Love Conquers All

Author's Note: Thanks for all the reviews. Glad everyone got a kick out of the angel line. The reviews are still messed up. I'm getting them through my emails though. Hopefully they fix it soon. Anyway, hope you guys enjoy this chapter.

Chapter Notation: I know some of my regular readers love Aoda, Sasuke's snake summon, so here is some more Aoda.

 **Izumi / Sad Spoiler Alert:** She was another Uchiha. In one of the books, she died in Itachi's arms as he gave her a vision. In this vision he gave her, they were married, had kids, and died of old age together. I have no idea what her personality is like, but thanks to Google I found some pictures! Haven't read the book, just found the passage from it on the Internet. The Fire Festival was my idea though.

Chapter Six

"That was really smooth, Master Sasuke." Aoda chimes in.

"AODA!" Sasuke groans and smacks his forehead when his giant snake Summon makes his presence known.

"He-llo." Hinata says, looking at the massive snake in awe and a little fear because well it wasn't everyday you saw a snake that was bigger than a two or three story building.

"Hello, Lady Hinata." Aoda says and his tail swishes merrily, as if he was just positively delighted to be there…vaguely reminding Hinata of a dog wagging his tail.

"Don't worry. He's friendly. He has horrible timing, but he's friendly." Sasuke says with a sigh.

"I can see why he likes you. You have such lovely scales." Aoda says, causing Hinata to blush.

"He has a habit of saying whatever is on his mind. I think it's a Summon thing." Sasuke warns her.

"Oh okay. Thank you." She mumbles and shyly reaches over to touch Aoda.

Aoda leans into the touch. He quite enjoyed being petted. He was sure Master Sasuke would as well. But he wanted to kill Itachi first. Oh well, more attention for him.

"A little lower. I can never get that spot." He says.

Hinata smiles and scratches the serpent's back. Sasuke shakes his head. Aoda acted more like a dog than a snake sometimes.

Oh well. He was loyal and obedient. The fact he didn't require a hundred human sacrifices to be summoned was also a major plus.

"He likes you. Well he likes anyone who gives him back scratches really. He's easy please." Sasuke mutters.

"It's funny. I didn't really think they did anything outside of battle. What's he doing here?" Hinata asks curiously

"Gamabunta, is being as humans say, a dick again." Aoda informs them.

"Who is that?" The blunette inquires.

"He's Naruto's biggest Summon. He has an attitude problem to put it mildly. They fight like cats and dogs." Sasuke explains.

"Oh. They are a lot like humans." She observes.

"Yes. They actually think they adopt us and not the other way around." Sasuke whispers to her.

Hinata giggles at that. Aoda rolls onto his back for a belly rub. Hinata blinks but indulges him.

"Come on Hinata. Let's get you home before the harpies notice you are missing. A shirtless Naruto is only going to distract them so long." Sasuke states.

"Oh right. It was nice meeting you Aoda." She says and heads off with her dark haired teammate.

"Hiashi is probably going to throw a fit if he sees me walking you home, in our swimsuits." Sasuke states with a smirk.

"You're right. Um I'll see you tomorrow at training then. I don't want you to get in tr-ouble." Hinata stammers.

"It's fine. Actually, on principle pissing your father off is kinda favorite hobby of mine." Sasuke admits.

"…." Hinata didn't know what to say to that.

"The feeling is mutual. Don't worry about it." He assures her.

Soon enough they arrive at the Hyuga Estate. Sasuke blinks, he had to admit that it was massive. The white marble stone structures, the perfect green lush lawns, and even a stream that ran through the property were all so damn…classical. The Hyugas valued strength, but they were also a bunch of peacocks in their own way. This estate was designed to be equal parts beautiful and intimidating.

Hinata seems to be trying to make herself look as small as possible. Confused by this behavior, Sasuke looks around. He soon figured out why. They had an audience.

The fact that he was shirtless and walking their heiress home, had raised more than a few eyebrows. There was a lot of whispering and even some giggling going on. The fact that he was an Uchiha alone, probably would have caused some whispering. The giggling was slightly amusing though.

The more sadistic part of his personality was tempted to kiss Hinata good night. Why? Because he enjoyed kissing her and as a lovely bonus, it would fuck with them all hardcore.

He knew better though. No wasn't the time. First, Itachi had to die. THEN he could scandalize the Hyuga family with PDA. Yes, yes it was a good plan.

"What is causing all this commotion?" Hiashi asks Neji as they head towards the gardens, where all the chatter was going on.

"It looks like Sasuke Uchiha has walked Hinata home." The prodigy informs him.

"That boy, I swear he has balls. He actually came here without an invitation? Need I send him to the hospital again?" Hiashi scowls.

"Uncle, if I may…I wouldn't. Kakashi would be most displeased and he is the new Hokage." Neji warns him.

"Dammit. I despise that meddler." The older Hyuga states.

"I'm well aware. But the fact remains if you attack his ward, he will grow angry. It won't be a clan matter, because he isn't a Hyuga. So it will fall well within his rights to punish you." Neji continues.

"I know. It is most unfortunate." He sighs and heads out to greet them.

"Thank you for walking her home. I shall take my daughter inside now." Hiashi says in a tone that said _You are dismissed._

Sasuke's eyes narrow. He had definitely picked up on that tone. You know what? Screw it.

"Of course. Good night, Hinata." He tells her and presses a chaste kiss against her cheek, before slinking off gracefully into the night like a black panther.

"THAT BOY!" Hiashi practically seethes with rage.

Hinata blushes hotly. She looks at Neji helplessly. Her cousin, thankfully leads her away. Their father/uncle was not going to be fit for human company for a few hours more likely than not. He'd rather not have his gentle cousin exposed to Hiashi's wrath for something that wasn't even her fault. Sasuke sure knew how to push the Hyuga Patriarch's buttons.

Hiashi scowls. How dare he?! How dare he kiss Hinata with him standing right there! Such public displays of affection were most improper! This was especially true when half of the clan was watching!

"Was that boy raised by wolves?" He growls.

Oh wait. Nevermind he was raised by Kakashi. Wolves had better manners than the Copycat Ninja. He supposed he should be grateful that a kiss on the cheek was ALL Sasuke was doing. Well that had better be all he was doing. He wasn't going to have Sasuke ruin Hinata's innocence without a marriage.

He might not like the boy. But he was from a powerful clan. He was also the only Uchiha left who had access to their family's assets. Combined with his powerful bloodline and his own impressive skills, he would just have to overlook how crude the boy was. Eventually, he'd have some manners beaten into him.

Hinata blushes like mad as Neji takes her to her room. She couldn't believe that Sasuke had done that! He'd kissed her with her father standing only a few feet away!

Alright, so it was only a kiss on the cheek. But Sasuke had to know how reserved her clan was. Didn't he know that he was playing with fire? She just hoped that her father didn't harass him too much.

"He was messing with him." Neji observes.

"Yes, I think so too." Hinata admits.

"Very few people can do that and live to tell the tale." The other Hyuga states in amusement.

"Sasuke's always been a survivor." She agrees.

The next day, Hinata decides to get some early morning training in. She heads to the training grounds and sets up some posts. The sun had just risen only a few minutes ago. But it was a beautiful sunrise.

That's when she felt someone cover her mouth and a slight pinch on the nerve of her neck. She was overcome with blackness. Obito catches her and races off.

"Early morning is always the best time to strike." He mutters.

It was late enough so those who were night owls by nature, were getting sleepy and too early for the early birds to be fully awake. No one ever expected an attack at 6 in the morning.

When Hinata comes to her senses, she was bound. She couldn't feel her chakra. She assumed that some sort of chakra blocker had been given to her or the chains she was wrapped in might be causing it.

"I wouldn't bother struggling. Those chains are designed to drain energy if you do. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Madara." He states.

"That's impossible. Madara's dead. He has been for years." Hinata says and tries to get a good look at her kidnapper.

"The rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated." He informs her.

He wasn't actually Madara. But he did enjoy using his ancestor's name to spread terror. If they thought him immortal, all the better.

Hinata saw a man of slightly above average height. He wore an orange mask and had dark hair. But she could see his Sharingan. He certainly wasn't Sasuke or Itachi. He was too old to be Itachi. So the man must have been telling the truth, she decided. This immediately filled her with a sense of cold terror.

"Don't worry. If I wanted you dead, you already would be. You are merely bait. I need to have a talk with my descendent." He says.

"But how will he know that I'm here?" She asks.

"Oh I left him a little note. I imagine he'll be here shortly." Obito answers her question.

Sasuke wakes up and finds some of Aoda's scales on his bed. But they spelled out a note. _**Foolish little brother, did you think I wouldn't notice you at the waterfall with her? Have you forgotten about our family so easily? It's no wonder you are weak. You lack hatred. Better run to the old family fortress if you want to see her alive again. - Itachi.**_

Obito had signed the "letter" in Itachi's name. He figured that would get Sasuke's attention faster. He smirks when he feels Sasuke's chakra signature barreling towards them.

"That was…easy." He mutters.

"Who are you?! You aren't Itachi." Saskue demands.

"No, I'm not. But I know something about your older brother that you do not. Actually many things. It is unfortunate that I had to resort to such tactics to get your attention. But one can not argue with their effectiveness." He replies.

"Hinata!" Sasuke says when he sees her chained up.

"Oh she's fine. As I explained to her, if I wanted her dead…she would have been dead already." He continues.

"Those chains are very special. If you try to remove them or anyone besides myself does, it will cause her chakra system to combust and kill her instantly. It's a most…unpleasant death. I will gladly take them off of her, after you have heard what I have to say. It's important. It is your job to bare witness after all." He says.

"Bare witness to what?!" He snarls.

"To the real story behind your brother. He's fooled you and everyone else quite successfully for years. But as his illness will kill him shortly, I think it is important that someone knows the truth. Who better than his little brother?" He asks with a cruel smirk.

"Illness? He's sick?" Sasuke demands to know.

"Oh yes, very sick. If it wasn't for the medication he is currently taking, he would have died long ago. In a way it is sweet that he would prolong his suffering, just so you can have the honor of killing him." Madara says.

"You're lying. He's not sick." Sasuke growls.

"I'm not. You were too young at the time to know what was going on. But after years of discrimination and our clan gradually falling from power, they were planning a coup. Your father was going to be their leader. The Leaf found out about it and inserted a spy into the clan. That spy was Itachi." He informs him.

"My father…the leader? Itachi a spy? YOU'RE LYING." He snarls.

"It would have resulted in a civil war. The other villages would have seen the Leaf as weak and attacked. It easily could have spawned the next Great Ninja War. Itachi knew this. He was forced to choose between his clan and village. He chose the village. But after killing everyone…his father, his mother, his lover…he couldn't kill you. Do you know what that means? You were more precious to him than the entire village." He informs him.

"YOU'RE LYING!" He thunders at him.

"Sasuke…" Hinata says.

"Think about it. It truly makes no sense to spare one clan member, knowing that you would want revenge. He wants to be punished. He figured it'd be a tidy little ending. The younger brother avenges the evil elder. You'd be the hero in this story and the Uchiha Clan in theory could restart with a clean slate. A marvelous fairytale, don't you think? So simple. Black and white. Good vs. evil. And of course, you've even add a pretty princess to the tale." He chuckles.

"But that means…" Sasuke says.

"That you have been serving the village that ordered your brother to kill every member of your family for years, yes." He says.

"Did Kakashi know?!" Sasuke demands to know.

"No. To my knowledge he didn't. Though I wonder how you would feel about your guardian, if you knew he took you in only because of guilt. Did you ever ask him how he got that Sharingan?" He taunts him.

"He said…a friend gave it to him. His friend was dying…crushed by a boulder." Sasuke answers.

"That was true. Guilt. It was guilt for not being able to save his teammate and having to kill the other one. In your eyes, he sees Obito. It is his way of trying to atone for past sins, I believe. You didn't think he was playing house because of some foolish parental notion, did you?" He continues.

"SHUT UP!" Sasuke snarls and lunges at him, Chidori blazing.

"There is no need to be angry. I am sure that he did genuinely grow to care for you. So what will you do now that you know the truth?" He asks, dodging the hit, and releases Hinata.

"I'm going to make them pay." He says.

"Sasuke, we don't know if he's even telling the truth." Hinata says.

"Seems your princess is suspicious of strangers, as she should be. Go ask Danzo and he'll admit it. Danzo has always had such a fondness for our family, particularly their corpses. There is a reason he never lets anyone see his arm." He informs him.

"I will." Sasuke says and walks over to Hinata.

He eyes his "ancestor" warily. Was he really just going to let them walk out of here? It looked like it. But Sasuke had learned never to turned his back on anyone.

"You may go. As I said, I have no desire to kill her or you. You'll see that I gave you something no one else in that village ever was going to, the truth." Madara decrees and slips off into the shadows, like he was never there at all.

"Sasuke." Hinata says uncertainly.

"I have to know." He tells her.

"What makes you think he isn't just holding a grudge against the Leaf and trying to turn you against the village as an easy way to cause chaos?" She questions.

"That's what I'm going to find out. Are you alright?" He asks.

"I think so. I'm more worried about you than anything." She says.

She'd never been afraid of Sasuke's Sharingan before. It was a beautiful ruby red color, exotic. It had always been a symbol that everything would be alright. But now…it had lost it's protectiveness and looked more like a demon's eyes. A demon that was filled with seething rage, one second away from lashing out and destroying everything in its path.

"Let's get you home. You don't need to see any of this." Sasuke murmurs and takes her hand.

"I'm not leaving you! Not when you are like this." She says.

"Hinata, I said let's get you home." The youngest Uchiha repeats himself.

"And I said that I'm not leaving you. You've always protected me. Now I'm going to protect you, even if that means protecting you from yourself!" She says determinedly.

"I'm not going to talk you out of this, am I?" Sasuke asks.

"No! And if you try to leave me behind, I will get Naruto and Kakashi Sensei!" She says.

"I suppose that settles it. I can't have the loser yelling his head off, while I'm trying to get answers. Come on." He says and offers his hand to Hinata.

Meanwhile, Itachi was laying in Konan's arms. It was a strange bond that they had formed. She was fourteen years his senior. So perhaps it was only natural that she would take on take on something of a maternal role for the group

She knew that he had every intention of dying at the hands of his younger brother. Even if he didn't, his illness would have killed him eventually. The only way it wouldn't was seeking highly specialized treatment than no Criminal Ninja was going to get. Yet, she still insisted on tending to him. He indulged her.

"I will miss you, when you are gone." She murmurs, running her fingers through his hair.

"I will miss you too." Itachi finds himself admitting.

Their relationship wasn't sexual. Mostly because of Itachi's illness. Such…strenuous "unnecessary" activities, would have just have agitated his already fragile body further. Death would embrace even sooner than he had planned, if he decided to pursue carnal activities. That and even if he was able to, it wouldn't be fair. He knew that he was going to die soon. It would be cruel to start something he couldn't finish, as he had unintentionally done with his first love, Izumi.

 _Itachi was young when he was promoted to ANBU Captain. He'd only been thirteen. While he was a genius and his ninja skills were exceptional, he was still barely a teenager. So he felt a bit out of place, whenever the others on his squad would talk about their lovers or who they wanted to be with._

 _"You like her." One of his squad members said._

 _It was late at night. The bonfires were still burning brightly in his Clan's District. Members of his family were dancing wildly to some music. The flames rising higher and higher, casting an ethereal glow on the surrounding areas._

 _His clan called it the Fire Festival. The rest of the Leaf was either unaware of it or didn't celebrate it. Unfortunately, the Hokage somehow had found out about it._

 _He had concerns and wanted them to watch closely. He had said that he was worried the fires might get out of hand. But Itachi had an uneasy feeling. He felt there was more to it than that._

 _"She's beautiful." Itachi admitted, much to the delight of his teammate._

 _He had meant it too. Itachi had never really noticed girls before. He graduated the Academy at seven, mastered the Sharingan at 8, become a Chunin at 10, and now was in charge of an ANBU squad. He'd been busy. Between his ninja career and his family, he had little time to think of anything else really._

 _Her hair was long, chocolate brown, and came to her slender waist. She was the same age as him and just beginning to blossom. She had the classical Uchiha fair complexion. Her skin looked like it was made of the moonlight itself. Her eyes the same color as her hair and wide with the joy of youth. She wore a sleeveless purple dress._

 _She was a Genin. He expected she'd take the Chunin Exams soon though. If Itachi hadn't been promoted so quickly, they would have graduated from the Academy together._

 _"For a teenager, yeah. Go ahead, Itachi. Ask her to dance. We can handle it. Besides, what better way to make sure things don't get out of hand, than to be right in the thick of the action?" He had smiled at him._

 _"I don't know if that's a good idea." He murmured._

 _"Awe, our Captain is shy! That's so cute! His first crush. Someone take a picture. I think he's blushing. The famous Itachi Uchiha is blushing like a Genin with his first crush." Another had teased._

 _Itachi narrowed his eyes at him. Bastard. Well he couldn't let that challenge to his "manhood" go unanswered. He found himself walk towards the fire and to Izumi._

 _"Do you want to…?" He trails off._

 _Ninja genius or not, he was still a boy asking a girl to dance for the first time. It had been awkward. But Izumi had smiled at him. She was kind, not making him even finish the sentence, before wrapping her arms around his neck and dancing with him._

 _"I'd love to." She had said with such a sweet, genuine smile._

 _They had danced with each other the rest of the night. It was the perfect day to Itachi. His family was all there. Everyone was happy. He had Izumi in his arms. For one night, just one…Itachi had been just a normal teenage boy._

 _If only he had known what would happen just a few months later. That everything was going to be taken from him. Maybe, he wouldn't have allowed himself to taste happiness. It only made it that much more painful when it was taken away._

 _Years later, he would still honor her memory by wearing purple fingernail polish. She had always been so fond of the color. It had been her favorite._

"The world is cruel. You deserved better than this." She murmurs.

"We all did." He says.

"That is true. Well except for Deidara. He is an idiot." She states.

"Yes, yes he is." Itachi agrees with a laugh.

He knew it was just a temporary escape. But laying in Kohan's arms, his head on her breasts, enjoying her gentle touch, and some good natured mocking of Deidara…it was easy to forget. Forget for just a little while, that he'd be dead soon. This wouldn't last. It couldn't last. But he would enjoy the moment while it did. Happy moments were all too few in this world.


	7. Chapter 7

Love Conquers All

Author's Note: Thanks for all the reviews. The Danzo scene is going to diverge radically from the anime, since Hinata is involved now. Anyway, please enjoy this chapter. ^^.

Chapter Seven

Danzo was in his office. He enjoying a fine glass of sake and looking over the various reports that his ROOT member had given him. That's when he heard many THUDS outside his door in rapid succession.

Curious, he rises to his feet and cautiously goes to see what was going on. He needn't have done so though, Sasuke just kicked down the door. He raises an eyebrow. Save for Itachi, the Uchihas had to be the most impatient clan that he had ever known.

"I believe it is customary to knock when you wish to speak with someone first." He says dryly.

"You're going to tell me what I want to know or you WILL end up like your guards." Sasuke says, his Sharingan was whirling dangerous, and Danzo now noticed he had brought the Hyuga girl with him.

Now that was odd. He had always suspected that sooner or later, Sasuke would learn the truth. Him bringing Hinata with him though, that was unforeseen development. Oh he was aware that it was likely the survivor of the massacre had feelings for the shy girl. But he would have thought Sasuke would seek to protect her from what he was sure was about to be a lot of unpleasantness.

Oh well, it didn't matter. Not really. What mattered was Sasuke had found out the truth. He wasn't entirely certain how, but he knew. He just knew that Sasuke was now aware of what really happened that day. Things were about to get very interesting.

"You'd do well to learn a little patience. Threats do not work on me. I survived the war, boy." He informs him.

"You won't survive this if you don't tell me the fucking truth." Sasuke grabs Danzo's arm and rips his sleeve off.

Hinata lets out a horrified gasp, when she sees it. His arm was covered in Sharingans. It was ghastly looking. But now she could see what Madara had meant by corpses.

"Give me one good reason, why I shouldn't kill you? You sick grave robber? Disgracing the dead like that, won't go unpunished. Did you even wait until their bodies were cold in the ground?" He snarls and slams Danzo against the wall.

"They were dead. Why waste such valuable weapons?" He counters.

"I'm going to tear you apart." Sasuke seethes.

"Madara sought you out, did he not?" He asks.

"Yes, he did. He told me that Itachi was ORDERED to conduct the massacre to prevent a Civil War. Is . That. True?!" Sasuke says and bashes Danzo's head against the wall after every word in the last question.

"Boy, you are foolish if you think I'm just going to let you kill me." Danzo says and he stabs Sasuke harshly in the stomach with a kunai.

"SASUKE!" Hinata cries out.

"Oh don't worry about your lover. That's not a fatal spot. He'll be fine." Danzo says.

"You won't." Sasuke hisses.

"You are 18 now, is that right? You're older than Itachi was when he was forced to bare that horrible burden. I suppose you are old enough to know the truth. Your brother's sacrifice should be remembered and honored, if only by you." He states.

"So it IS true then." Sasuke murmurs.

"Sadly yes. Your brother understood that certain sacrifices must be made to keep everything running smoothly. There are many who live in the shadows, so that others can live in the light. Your brother didn't want you to see this world. What it TRULY takes to keep the Leaf going." He replies.

"If the village has to order a thirteen year old boy to commit a massacre against his own clan, then it ISN'T worth preserving!" He snarls.

Hinata watches in horror. She didn't recognize Sasuke at the moment. Gone was the boy who would talk about angels and stand up to her father. He'd been replaced by a demon of pure rage. His Sharingan wasn't beautiful at that moment but utterly terrifying.

She knew without a doubt that if Sasuke got out of this building, he was going to go on a rampage. People were going to die. He'd do something that couldn't be taken back. She had to do something.

"Sasuke, I'm sorry." She mumbles and hits him on the back of the neck, striking a nerve that made fall limp to the floor.

"Thank you, Lady Hinata." Danzo murmurs.

"Don't thank me. Sasuke would have killed you quickly in his rage. That's too good for you. A public disgrace when people find out you have a graveyard on your arm, should be far more fitting." She blocks his chakra and renders him immobile.

Hinata had one advantage over Sasuke and Danzo in a fight. Despite how powerful they were, the fact that neither viewed her as a threat made it very easy to get a hit in. She'd taken a couple cheap shots. But they had worked. That's what mattered.

She races them both back to the Hokage Tower. Kakashi would know what to do, right? He had to. No one knew Sasuke better than his guardian. He'd know how to make this right.

"Hinata, what are you doing here and why are you carrying two unconscious men? Is that Sasuke?!" Kakashi asks as his eyes widen.

"Yes, it's Sasuke and Danzo. It's a long story. But we need to restrain them both before they wake up. Sasuke is…he's not himself. He's furious. Rage has taken over him. I'm worried about what he'll do if he isn't restrained. Danzo should be hanged for what he did." She says.

"I'll restrain them. But you must tell me what is going on." Kakashi states and quickly takes out some chakra restraints, tying Danzo and Sasuke up, but keeping them separate.

"I was kidnapped by a man claiming to be Madara. He did it to get Sasuke's attention. He says that Itachi was ordered to carry out the massacre. That Itachi did it to prevent a civil war in the Leaf that could have triggered another great war. He said Danzo knew and something about him having a fondness for Uchihas, particularly their corpses. Sasuke went to confront Danzo. The man has Uchiha EYES on his arm. He says it's true. Sasuke is out for blood. I knocked them both out while they were distracted with each other and brought them here." She says in a rush.

"I always did find it suspicious that someone who loved his family as much as Itachi did would kill them at random one night. I should have pressed. I should have looked deeper. But you did the right thing. Just seeing Danzo's arm alone, would have triggered a violent rage in Sasuke. He's strong enough that he'd take many people down with him, if he decided to attempt destroying the village. I'm going to need your help, Hinata. You might be the only person who can calm him slightly in this instance. We will get answers." He promises.

"Yes, Lord Hokage." She agrees.

Hours later, Sasuke groans. His body felt sore in a way that was familiar. Hiashi had locked up his chakra once before. So he knew what he was feeling.

"Where am I?" Sasuke asks.

"You're home." Kakashi informs him.

"But I…Danzo. Hinata." He says.

"Hinata is fine. Danzo was already subdued. We are going to get to the bottom of this. But I need you to keep a level head. If you want to get to the bottom of this, to find out what really happened to your family and why, you will do it. I'll send Hinata in. She seems to know more about this situation right now than I." He adds.

"Alright." Sasuke says.

Kakashi looks at his ward warily. He'd accepted that far too easily. The silver haired Hokage had expected him to still be raging. His calmness, disturbed Kakashi far more than Sasuke lashing out would have at this point. Maybe it wasn't safe to leave Hinata alone with him.

He shakes his head. No he was being ridiculous. No matter what was wrong with Sasuke, he wouldn't hurt Hinata. Besides, he was restrained and couldn't access his chakra. She'd be perfectly safe. That and he had promised to bring her in.

"Scared Kakashi?" Sasuke says mockingly.

His tone of voice sent a chill through the Hokage. He'd never heard Sasuke take that tone before. It was one that was so…cold. So mocking. In that moment, he was every inch Madara's descendent.

"Bring her in. I'd never hurt Hinata. This village though, I'll level to the ground if I find out that Danzo told the truth." He snarls.

Kakashi sighs and goes to get Hinata. Maybe she could calm him down. The older ninja had no idea how to handle this new Sasuke.

Hinata walks into Sasuke's room. She'd never been in here before. She smiles, it looked like Sasuke and Naruto still shared bunk beds. That was so cute! Sasuke was on the bottom one now. Probably because it was easier to put an unconscious person on the bottom than the top.

She lost her smile, when she saw Sasuke's expression. That wasn't the Sasuke she knew. Still she had to try.

"I'm sorry." She mumbles.

"For what happened to my family or knocking me out while my back was turned?" He asks.

"Both…I had to. I didn't want you to attack the village and get hurt." She answers honestly.

"I know. I'm not angry with you. That's just who you are. You try to save everyone, even if they don't deserve it. That's why you would have angels for your summons, if such a thing were possible." He murmurs.

"You aren't?" She asks surprised that he wasn't furious. (She had "attacked" while his back was turned.)

"I could never be angry with you. The village is another matter." He tells her.

"Sasuke." She says with a sad sigh.

"Hinata, don't look at me like that. Not with those sad eyes of yours. That's heartbreaking." He informs her.

"I can't help it. I don't want anything to happen to you. If what he says is true, this isn't the village that I thought it was." She mumbles.

"I think I know what would help me feel at least a little better." He murmurs.

"What?" She asks.

"Some watermelon." He answers cryptically, leans up slightly, despite the chains, and kisses her.

Hinata gasps. Whatever she thought Sasuke had meant by watermelon, she didn't think he meant that. How bizarre, that he apparently associated watermelons with kissing. But she decided not to question it.

Sasuke takes advantage of the gasp, to deepen the kiss. He knew it was foolish. He was letting himself get distracted. But he just wanted to enjoy something pure and good.

Besides, he was restrained. He wasn't going to be able to kill every last one of them yet. He might as well enjoy the feeling of her soft lips against his.

"Mmm." She lets out a quiet moan into the kiss and begins to return it.

Sasuke smirks at this. Unlike the first time, she was kissing back. This was even better than their first one. He groans as a title wave of lust hit him.

If only his fucking hands weren't bound. He wanted to touch her so badly. He settles for gliding his tongue along hers and exploring every corner of her sweet mouth.

It felt good. Really good. Last time, Hinata had been in shock. She hadn't really had a chance to process if she liked the kiss or not. She was just stunned that he had kissed her at all. But now that she did, she knew that Sasuke excelled in kissing like he excelled in battle.

She was on top and he was chained. But somehow, he still controlled the kiss effortlessly. Well Hinata was more than content to let him take the lead. He seemed to know what he was doing and it felt good.

"Unchain me. I want to be able to touch you." He says after breaking the kiss by tugging on her lower lip.

"You were trying to trick me into letting you go." Hinata says accusingly and she couldn't believe how stupid she'd been.

She had completely fallen for it. He was just trying to seduce her. He wanted out of the chains. That was all.

"Hinata, I've wanted you since I was 12. I wasn't trying to trick you. I'll let Kakashi play detective. If what Danzo and Madara said is true, I'm burning this fucking village to the ground. But I'll take you, Naruto, Kakashi, and whatever family members you want to bring with us. I'm not faking being attracted to you." He tells her and to prove his point, he grinds his arousal against her.

Hinata blushes hotly. She might have been innocent. But she wasn't THAT innocent that she didn't know what she had just felt against her leg. THAT couldn't be faked.

"You know…usually when I imagined one of us being tied up, it was more fun than this." He admits.

"…"Hinata was speechless.

"Light bondage isn't your thing? That's alright." He says.

"I d-on't know really. I never really thought about it. How can you go from being so angry to so…" She trails off.

"Easy. I can't use my chakra. I can barely move. As much as every fiber of my being wants to make this village pay, I need proof and I can't do anything like this. So I need to focus on something else. I figure it might as well be on the woman I love." He says.

"You love me?" She asks.

"Yes. Like I said, I've always wanted you. I've always liked you. You make me feel…more at peace. I didn't know if it was love or not because I'd never been in love before. But when he took you…I knew. When I thought someone might have killed you to get to me, you have no idea how painful that felt." He admits.

"Sasuke, I…" She begins to say.

"It's alright. You don't have to say anything right now. I shouldn't have sprung that on you when all of this is going on. My timing could have been a lot better." He replies.

"Yeah. It could have." She giggles.

"That's better. No more sad eyes." He tells her.

It was at that moment, that Naruto came charging in. The blonde seemed unaware of the moment that he had interrupted. He races over to his best friend.

"Sasuke! Are you okay? I heard you fucking lost it." The blue eyed man says.

"I'm not okay. According to Danzo, Itachi was ordered to kill our family." Sasuke explains in the fastest and simplest way he knew how to do so.

"What?! Oh come on. No way. That old man must be going senile. Who would have ordered that?" He asks.

"My guess Danzo and the Council. I'm not sure if the Third had a hand in it or not. I know Kakashi didn't." He mutters.

"Damn right! Kakashi would never do something like that. I think the old bastard is lying." Naruto states firmly.

"I don't think he is. Why make up something like that? Danzo has been trying to lead this village for decades. Why make up a lie that could destroy it?" Sasuke reasons.

"…Something is going on. We'll get to the bottom of this. You should probably sleep off the worst of the chakra blocking. Hinata, did you really lock up BOTH of their chakra?" Naruto asks, sounding impressed.

"I had to. It was the only way to protect the village and Sasuke." She answers.

"Yeah. I would have done the same thing. Come on. Let's let him get some rest." He says and leads Hinata off.

"Hinata, why's your lip all puffy?" The blonde asks once they are out down the hall.

"Oh…" The bluenette says and doesn't seem to know how to answer that question.

"I swear if that bastard hit you, best friend or not, the fur is going to fly. That is so not cool. You were only trying to help." The blonde says.

"Thank you, Naruto. But Sasuke didn't hit me. He kinda did the opposite, really." She mumbles.

"What'd he do? Come on, Hinata. You can tell me. We are teammates. We are friends, right? Friends can tell each other anything." He reasons.

"He kissed me." She answers.

"Ohhh. Damn. Well I always thought that he liked you. Bout time the bastard acted on it." Naruto says.

Hinata blushes. She just nods. The Hyuga Heiress didn't know what else to say. The relationship, if you could call it that…was too new.

"Did you like it?" He asks with all the tact of a toddler.

"Yes. I just wi-sh that things were the way they were yesterday. I barely recognize him now. He's…different. I'm worried, Naruto. Really worried about him and even for the village." She mumbles.

"Don't worry. The bastard is a lot of things, but stupid isn't one of them." He says.

Meanwhile, Kakashi was searching for answers. Could this be true? Was the massacre really an order?

He waits for Danzo to wake. He was going to get some answers, one way or another. He wasn't going to let Sasuke just languish in limbo. The truth had to come to light, no matter how painful.

"I suppose Sasuke must have told you, what I told him." Danzo says dryly, as he awakens.

"He did. No more games. This ends now. I want to know the truth. I'm going to find it. We can do this the easy way or the hard way." Kakashi warns him.

"I've always done things the hard way. I see no reason to change that now." Danzo replies.

"Good. I was hoping you'd say that. Your arm alone is reason enough to make you suffer. But I'm glad you gave me another excuse to draw this out." Kakashi growls at him.

Back at the Akatsuki headquarters, Kisame blinks. Well he'd be damned. He hadn't expected to walk in on THAT.

Itachi was laying sprawling in Konan's lap. She was running her fingers through his hair and they were speaking to each other. Itachi seemed to have decided that Konan's breasts made for a nice pillow.

Kisame couldn't pick up on what was being said. Maybe pillow talk, maybe something important. Either way the blue skinned ninja had to know.

"Well Itachi, I always knew that pretty face of yours would make the ladies a sucker for you. But I didn't think Konan was that much of a cougar." He taunts, which earns him quite the annoyed glare from the blue haired woman.

"Kisame, did you need something?" Itachi asks, clearly ignoring the comments on their relationship.

"Yeah. Well it's about your kid brother. I saw him racing along to one of your family's old fortresses. He looked to be in quite the hurry. Something is up. Thought you might want to know. But I can see the two of you are _**busy.**_ " He finishes with a smirk.

Konan chucks a pillow at the shark like man. She had had it with his taunts. Itachi chuckles and place a chaste kiss on her cheek to soothe her. Then his eyes narrow at what Kisame told him.

"I will look into it." He states and rises to his feet.

"Itachi, you can't go out like this in your condition." Konan says.

"I don't have a choice." He mutters and follows Kisame.

"Stay close to me." Itachi says when they enter the fortress.

"Ah Itachi. I knew you would come. I didn't expect you to bring a friend though. Tsk. Tsk." Madara says.

"What did you do to Sasuke?" Itachi demands.

"Nothing. I didn't harm a hair on your precious baby brother's head. I simply did what no one else has done for the boy." He replies cruelly.

"And what is that?" The other Uchiha asks.

"I told him the truth. He knows EVERYTHING now." Madara says and Itachi lashes out at him.

"YOU HAD NO RIGHT!" The sick man howls in outrage.

"I had every right. This is after all a family affair. We all share the same blood. I prefer a truth that draws a tear, rather than a lie that draws a smile. What about you?" He states and effortlessly dodges Itachi's attack.

"Where is he now?!" Itachi demands.

"Oh he went to see Danzo. He and his lover were skeptical of my claims." Madara says conversationally.

"Danzo…" Itachi mutters.

"Yes, that's right. I imagine he's already gotten to him by now. But you should go. You aren't going to want to miss those fireworks!" He says and flits off into the shadows.

Itachi curses under his breath. He takes off. He had to get to Sasuke. He had to stop his foolish little brother from doing something stupid. He just hoped he was not too late.


	8. Chapter 8

Love Conquers All

Author's Note: This chapter is a little late because I was having some writer's block with this story. Thanks for all the reviews. Maybe they will show up soon XD. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Chapter Notation: This one felt a little awkward to me. But I hope you like it anyway.

Chapter Eight

He was a tough old bastard. Kakashi had to give Danzo that much. While Kakashi wasn't familiar with the finer points of Ibiki's techniques, he knew that most men would have been screaming by now. Not Danzo though.

"Have you found anything yet?" The Hokage asks.

"His head is filled with all sorts of secrets. Half of them could cripple this village. There are so many to sort through. This is going to take awhile. Nothing about the Uchiha Massacre yet. But I WILL find it, Lord Hokage." He promises and gets back to the work of sifting through Danzo's very twisted mind.

Kakashi sighs. He really hoped that Madara had lied. That Danzo had lied or that Sasuke didn't understand him. He knew though that both of those things happening were highly unlikely. Still he clung to this hope. He didn't want to see the little boy that he had "rescued" all those years ago broken again.

 _Sasuke was truly a remarkable child, he mused. It was a year after the massacre. Most of the time, you would never have guessed what a traumatic event he went through._

 _Kakashi figured this was in large part because of Naruto. The two were inseparable. They were like night and day really._

 _There were never two boys who were more different. They'd nearly destroyed his apartment countless times. Yet, somehow they had forged a bond that even though they were just children, he knew to be unbreakable. (Even if it did threaten to break his eardrums sometimes.)_

 _"Hey, Sasuke you okay? You look a little out of breath." Naruto asked._

 _"F-ine." He panted.._

 _"What happened?" The blonde questioned in concern._

 _"Girls happened." The Uchiha replied._

 _"They tried to get you to play house again, didn't they?" The blue eyed boy asked._

 _"Yes. I told them I don't like playing house! They wouldn't listen. So I had to outrun them." He growls._

 _Kakashi smacked his forehead. They were just trying to be nice. Likely they wanted Sasuke to play the father because he was "cute." But honestly, did these girls have no tact. Sasuke's version of house had ended in a lot of dead bodies. Of course he wouldn't want to play that game._

 _"Maybe you could talk them into playing something else?" Naruto suggested._

 _"Then it'd be the damn dolls. I swear Naruto, Hinata is the only normal girl in our year. I can't even talk to her though." Sasuke said._

 _"Yeah kinda hard to say hi when everywhere you go, you get swarmed by the harpies." Naruto agreed._

 _"The harpies? Where do you kids come up with this stuff?" Kakashi chuckled._

 _"It fits." Sasuke protested._

 _"Well Sasuke, when you catch your breath, I can take you both to the training grounds to work on your kunai throwing." He offered._

 _"Really?" Sasuke and Narutos' eyes lit up._

 _"Yes." He answered with a smile._

 _Ah thank God that the boys were easy to please. Offer to do a little training with them and you'd think that he'd given them the world. So easily distracted. Yes, Sasuke was truly remarkable to still be as well adjusted as he was. Thank God for Naruto and kunai practice._

Kakashi sighs and flits off to the room where Sasuke was being kept. He knew that something fundamentally had changed. This Sasuke was different. His eyes were predatory.

"Ibiki is interrogating him. One way or another we will find out the truth. This is going to take awhile. It seems that Danzo has been hiding many secrets. All good ninjas eventually hide secrets, but his could take hours or even days to sift through until we find out if he knew anything about the Uchiha Massacre that the public did not." He says.

"Good." Sasuke replies.

"Since it's going to be awhile, why don't we get some kunai practice in?" He asks.

"Kakashi, I'm not some kid anymore. You can't solve this by taking me out to throw some kunais. Besides, I learned how to throw BETTER than you, years ago." Sasuke states.

"Better than me? Tsk. Tsk. I don't believe that's true." He informs him.

"It's true and you know it." Sasuke counters.

"Then I suspect you won't have an issue in proving that to be the case. Besides, we have nothing but time. Would you prefer to spend it chained to that bed or out doing something?" The silver haired Kage asks, already knowing the answer.

"You'd actually unchain me?" The dark haired man questioned in disbelief.

"Yes, I would. I know you. You won't go off the handle until you know for certain what really happened." Kakashi responds.

"Alright. Unchain me. I guess it's a been awhile since I kicked your ass at target practice anyway." He says cockily.

"That's because it has never happened." Kakashi lies and goes off with Sasuke, after freeing him.

Kunai throwing was automatic at this point in their ninja careers. Neither had to think about it. It made it a mindless activity that kept them busy. This meant a conversation could easily be held.

"She's worried about you, you know? Naruto is too. As am I." Kakashi says as he throws another kunai into the target, striking the center of it with ease.

"I know. I wouldn't hurt any of you. But this village, I'll burn to the ground if what Danzo told me is true." Sasuke growls and sends another kunai hurtling into the target, smashing Kakashi's kunai in half.

"Sasuke, I am Hokage. You know that I can't do that. You can't seriously expect Naruto and Hinata to just sit idly by as you rampage." He reasons.

"If it's true, you'll have a decision to make. Me or the village. I won't hold it against you if you choose the village. I'm only one person." He answers bitterly.

"And what of Hinata?" He asks.

"What about her?" The other man replies warily.

"Could you fight against her? She's going to protect the village Sasuke. It's what she's always done. You would put her in a most uncomfortable position of choosing between her teammate and her village." He warns him.

"I'd never hurt Hinata. I love her." He snaps, riled at the mere suggestion that he'd ever raise his blade to her.

"I know you do. But you don't really think she'd just allow you to destroy a village. That she'd overlook women, children, the elderly, and other innocents being killed. It is not in her nature. You know that." He reasons.

"I'd knock her out. She wouldn't have to see it." Sasuke replies.

"She'd find out about it. You didn't fall in love with someone that you thought was stupid. She'd have to be very oblivious not to find out." Kakashi warns him.

"She'd find out. Hinata would be upset about it. She'd cry. She'd rage at me. But I'd make her understand…eventually." Sasuke says, not sure if he entirely believed that himself.

"You don't sound convinced of that. Are you sure that's a gamble you want to take?" The Hokage asks.

"If this village took my family once, they could do it again. I'm not letting them touch her. I'll fucking tear every person apart in this village limb from limb, if I have to for her to be safe." He seethes.

"There are two things that I never doubted about you. The first is that you are a good person, who terrible things have happened to. The second is that you love her. I know you mean that. But for her sake, even if it's true…don't do it. We'll find a way to make it right." The older man urges him.

"MAKE IT RIGHT?! How? Are you going to bring them back from the dead?!" Sasuke snarls at him.

"If I had that power, you know that I would." Kakashi says sadly.

"I know." Sasuke sighs.

"You should go see her. I think it'd be best that you'd be reminded of what you might be given up, if the worst turns out to be true." Kakashi says placing his hand on Sasuke's shoulder.

Sasuke doesn't verbally respond to Kakashi's suggestion. His feet did though. He flits about, trying to figure out where Hinata went.

He knew her chakra signature almost as well as his own. He'd be able to find her with ease, he knew that. It was just a matter of time.

"Hinata." He calls out her name when he finds her with Naruto.

His eyes narrow. Naruto was embracing her. Sasuke didn't like that. He didn't like that in the slightest. But he tries to cool his jealousy. Naruto had never shown a romantic interest in Hinata.

She'd only seemed interested in him in as a friend. Hinata was kind to everyone. That was just who he was.

He knew that he was being ridiculous. It was clearly a comforting embrace. He was probably trying to reassure Hinata that everything would be alright. It still irritated him though. That was HIS job, not the loser's.

"Sasuke!" They both say at the same time and race over to him.

"So, Kakashi let you out of the chains. Does that mean everything is back to normal now?" Naruto asks cautiously.

"We don't know yet. Danzo is being interrogated. The truth will come out soon." He answers.

Naruto wasn't the most observant of individuals. But he knew Sasuke. The way he was looking at Hinata, told him that the bastard needed some alone time with her.

"I'm gonna go see if they found anything out yet." He says.

"Thanks." Sasuke replies and nods his head gratefully at his friend, who races off.

"Hinata, I'm sorry." Sasuke murmurs and caresses her cheek.

"Sorry for what?" She asks fearfully.

It was like a dagger through the heart. She was scared of him. Hinata was scared of HIM. That wasn't fucking right. Damn them all to Hell. This wasn't supposed to happen!

"Scaring you. I didn't mean to." He tells her.

"I know." She mumbles.

"I'd NEVER hurt you. You know that right?" The youngest Uchiha says and pulls her into his arms.

"I know. It's not me that I'm worried about." She admits.

"If it's true and I made them suffer for what they did, would you forgive me?" He questions.

"I don't know. It'd be wrong what they did to your family. But most of the people in the village had nothing to do with it. It's not right to hurt people for something they didn't do." She tells him.

"Was it right to force Itachi to kill his entire family because they didn't have the balls to do their dirty work themselves?" He asks.

"No. It wasn't. If that's what happened. It might not be true. Madara and Danzo could both be lying. Neither man is really trustworthy." She points out.

"What would they have to gain from lying?" He counters.

"Madara holds a grudge against this village. He believes he should have been Hokage. He probably wants you to destroy the village. Danzo…I don't know." She mumbles.

"Madara is one of the strongest ninjas to have ever lived. If he wanted to destroy the Leaf, he would have done it before now. He doesn't need me for that." Sasuke reasons.

"I don't know. There has to be something that we are missing." She says desperately.

"You remember what I said about the Summons?" Sasuke asks.

"About the angels?" Hinata ventures cautiously.

"Yes. You are always looking for the good in everyone. Sometimes, it's just not there. I know that you don't want to believe it. It would mean that everything we ever thought about this village was a lie. I wish I could be as confident as you are that what Madara said didn't happen. I'm not though. Not everyone is an angel like you." The dark haired ninja says.

"Do you want to go to the waterfall?" She asks suddenly.

"I'd like that." He says and walks off with her.

He could forget, at least for a little while. He would get his answers soon enough. For now, he was just going to enjoy being with her. Maybe he could convince her. Would she go with him willingly?

She sits by the water's edge and looks back at him. Sasuke behind her and wraps his arms around her. He lays his head on her neck. Hinata was soft, warm, and soothing. He needed her like he needed air.

"Why did you call a kiss watermelon?" She asks curiously, needing something to break the tension.

"Because your kiss tastes like watermelon." He replies as if it was obvious.

"Oh. Is that a good thing?" She asks.

"To me it is." He answers.

"I never really thought about kisses having a flavor before." She mumbles.

"Well they do. At least yours does. Might just be you. I've never kissed anyone else before or since." He admits and runs his fingers through her soft silky hair, using it as an anchor to ground him to the moment.

Hinata feels her face heating up. It was odd, that given the situation something like that could still make her feel embarrassed. But he'd always had that effect on her.

"Me neither. You aren't watermelon though." She says.

"I suspect not. It does have a feminine connotation to it." He smirks.

"How does food have a feminine or masculine connotation? She asks, utterly baffled by his thought process.

"Watermelon is pink, at least the insides are. Pink is a feminine color. It's also soothing like one of your caresses. Therefore, it is a feminine taste." He tells her.

"Oh…I guess that makes sense. I can't believe you actually categorize tastes like that." She murmurs in amusement.

"The loser says my mind never shuts off. I analyze everything. I just don't share every notion that enters my head like he does." Sasuke says.

"Yours are hotter than watermelon. Definitely something spicy." She mumbles.

"Is that a good thing?" He asks.

"For me it is." She volleys back at him.

Sasuke smirks. He pins her playfully against the grass. He couldn't help it. It was just so cute.

"Well played." He murmurs and captures her lips in heated kiss.

Meanwhile Kakashi and Naruto were with Ibiki. It was true. It had taken awhile, but eventually Danzo's secret conversation with Itachi was pried from his mind.

"I think I'm going to be sick." Naruto says.

"I'll try to reason him. Maybe he can be appeased by your lifeless corpse." Kakashi glowers at Danzo.

"I think there will be a very long line to kill him." Kakashi hears a velvety voice say.

He whirls around. The Hokage was stunned to come face to face with Itachi. Something was wrong though. The way he carried himself was different. It was as though he was slightly unsteady on his feet and his face was paler than usual.

"Itachi…" Kakashi says.

"If you tell him the truth, you know that he will kill everyone he can get his hands on. I did it to prevent a war, not delay one." The elder Uchiha states.

"He deserves to know the truth. All this time, you have allowed him to believe a lie." Kakashi says accusingly.

"A lie that benefited this village and the ninja world enormously." Itachi counters.

"That's besides the point, Itachi." The Copy Cat Ninja growls.

"Look at how well it turned out for him. He got a second family. A loving one that doesn't face discrimination. He's even found love. Sasuke was perfectly happy to believe that lie. I was going to let him kill me. Then he could be the hero that avenged our clan. It would have been perfect." The darker haired man says in agitation.

"You lied to him!" Naruto says and lunges at Itachi.

Itachi was sick. Madara hadn't been lying when he said he'd be lucky to make it another six months. But he was still able to dodge the furious blonde's attack. Itachi smiles sadly, ironically enough the brash ninja had become a better brother to Sasuke, than he had ever been allowed to be. He should have protected his foolish little brother better.

"Did you come here to kill us, before he was told the truth?" Kakashi asks.

"It crossed my mind. But my brother isn't an idiot. Now that Madara and Danzo have planted the seed, he will uncover the truth sooner or later. I am here to make sure he doesn't destroy the village." The elder Uchiha says.

"Perhaps it would be best if you didn't reveal yourself to him just right. He is likely to attack you on sight." The silver haired man replies.

"Very well." He agrees.

"Wait you are COOL with him just showing up and screwing with Sasuke like this?" Naruto asks in outrage.

"I'm not cool with it. But as you can see, Itachi isn't the villain in this story. He is the victim." Kakashi reminds him.

"Yeah. I guess. But still…I wouldn't have done it. I would have found another way." The blonde protests.

"You see the world in black and white. In reality it is an infinite shade of gray. But I do owe you my thanks. You have been a better brother to him than I have." Itachi admits.

"…This is seriously twisted. Well we should go find the bastard before he goes on a rampage." The blonde replies.

"Yes. It is time to see my foolish little brother." Itachi agrees and they head off.

Kakashi coughs. Well it looked like they had bad timing. Sasuke was on top of Hinata and they were locked in a rather heated lover's embrace. Fortunately, it was just passionate kissing, though Sasuke's hands were beginning to wander rather suggestively.

Hinata was returning the kiss. So that was a relief. If Sasuke had snapped and it wasn't consensual…Kakashi would have to step in. That wouldn't have ended well.

Sasuke growls. He wasn't particularly happy at being interrupted. It seemed the sweet escape of Hinata's kiss and caresses was going to be at least temporarily denied to him.

"Well Hinata…I'm glad that you were able to help him…feel better." Kakashi says dryly.

Hinata blushes furiously. She buries her head into Sasuke's shoulder. He gives her a reassuring look.

"Did you find something out or did you just have a death wish?" Sasuke growls.

"I'm afraid to tell you that it is true. I had no idea, Sasuke. I promise you that. We will find a way to make those that played a role in your family's demise pay. Perhaps you should speak with Itachi first before making any decisions." He states.

"…He was forced to do it? It's true then?" Sasuke questions.

"Unfortunately, yes is the answer to both of your questions." The silver haired ninja confirms with a sad sigh.

"I'm going to kill them." Sasuke snarls and his Sharingan activates.

That's when a blur of black and red tackled Sasuke to the ground. Itachi might be sick. But he wasn't going to let his brother throw his entire future away in a blind rage. He had to stop him.

"Foolish little brother. Do you want their deaths to be in vain? They died to prevent the next Great Ninja War. Don't throw your life away needlessly. You were happy. I know. I have watched you all these years." Itachi hisses at him.

"I hated you." Sasuke growls.

"I know. I wanted you to. I wanted our family's past to be sealed shut. I wanted you to have the chance to start a happier chapter. It seems that Madara wouldn't allow that though." Itachi coughs.

That's when Sasuke felt something wet splash against his cheek. He touches it with his hand and soon pulls it away, to reveal blood. Itachi had just coughed up blood.

How was that possible though? Sasuke hadn't landed a hit on him. There was no reason for him to be coughing up blood. Unless..

"Yes, foolish little brother. I am sick. That is not your concern or mine right now. Your future is." He says.

"Sick? How sick? For how long? He demands.

"Awhile. The medication has proved enormously helpful in delaying my death. But I'm afraid that criminal ninjas can not just walk into a hospital to get the type of extensive care that would be needed to save my life. It is no matter. I will die happily as long as I know that you aren't going let their deaths be in vain. Do not start a war over this. Let the dead rest in peace." He says.

"I don't know whether to hug you or to kill you for lying to me." Sasuke admits.

"You can decide that later. For now, promise me that you won't do anything stupid. Kakashi is Hokage. He wields an enormous amount of political power. Remember brother, he who seeks revenge should dig two graves." Itachi warns him.

"How dare you lecture me on revenge?! You are the one who told me to hate you. To kill you!" Sasuke snarls.

"And you can still hate me. You can still kill me. It is after all what I deserved. I have our entire family's blood on my hands." He reminds him.

"But you didn't do it willingly. You spared me." Sasuke says.

"Because I love you, my foolish little brother. That's why I won't allow you to destroy yourself in this way. Don't give into the madness that has claimed so many of our clan before." He says.


	9. Chapter 9

Love Conquers All

Author's Note: Thanks for all the reviews. This is likely going to be a relatively short story for me. I'm going to try to aim for 50k words. Who knows, maybe inspiration will strike and it will be longer though. For my Sasuke x Hinata lovers, fear not, we still have White Lace, Why Her, Siren's Call, and another story in the works that I will unveil once I finish up a few stories. ^^ Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter.

New Story Idea: Sasuke and Hinata's five year old son ends up in the past (well their present, before they got together. Lots of chaos and cuteness involved.) This was suggested to me by one of my regular reviewers.

Chapter Nine

Sasuke couldn't believe it. His entire world had been flipped on its axis. Everything that he ever thought was a LIE. Itachi hadn't killed their clan for fun. He'd done it to prevent a war.

Itachi had spared him not out of sadism, but because he LOVED him more than the entire village. Possibly more than the world. And now, Itachi expected him to just be OKAY with all of this?! To just act like he didn't know the truth? No way in Hell.

"They ordered you to kill our entire family." Sasuke seethes.

"Yes. But our family was going to launch a coup. It had to be done, Sasuke. I took no pleasure in it. But I gave them quick, painless deaths. The Leaf would not have been so merciful." Itachi says.

Itachi had to make him see. He had to make Sasuke understand. Unfortunately, he was at a loss for how to do this. But the fate of the village and Sasuke depended on him.

"AND YOU ARE STILL DEFENDING THEM?!" The youngest Uchiha roars.

"Sasuke, calm down. I know that you are smart enough to understand the reasons behind what I did. I understand if you can never forgive me. I don't expect or deserve your forgiveness. But I am not going to allow you to throw your entire life away." His older brother tells him.

"But you'll allow me to serve a village that ordered the massacre of our clan?!" He snarls.

"It wasn't like that." Itachi protests.

He sighs and bites his lower lip. How could he possibly explain? Sasuke was innocent in the coup. The village had no intention of killing a boy to punish him for the sins of his family. He'd been too young to understand. So Sasuke was never in any danger. Itachi had made Danzo promise this to him before he committed the acts that would stain his very soul forever.

"Then what was it like? Because from where I'm standing it looks like I served a village that ordered my family to be slain in cold blood by one of their own kin! A village that then kept this a secret from me. They raised me to be their perfect little oblivious prodigy. I was just a dumb kid after all." Sasuke rages.

"Little brother do not make me knock you out until you are in better control of your temper." Itachi warns him.

"HOW FUCKING DARE YOU TREAT ME LIKE I'M SOME DAMN CHILD?!" Sasuke lunges at him, his blade drawn.

The older Uchiha was prepared to dodge. Itachi honestly had been expecting this. Of course Sasuke's natural response was going to be rage. How could it be anything else?

"Sasuke, no!" Hinata shouts she throws herself between the two.

The blade strikes across her back. It slices through her shirt and blood sprays onto the grass. Sasuke immediately drops his sword and goes to catch her.

Itachi smiles sadly. His little brother had found love. He prayed to every deity in existence that he would not throw his life and the love he found away. He had to do something. He had to protect his foolish little brother from…himself.

"Hinata! I'm so sorry." He murmurs and holds her close.

"It's okay. It's not th-at deep. I don't think." She murmurs.

"I hurt you. I didn't mean to. So sorry." He apologizes.

"That is what happens when you can't control your temper. INNOCENT people get hurt, brother." Itachi says.

"SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP!" Sasuke snarls at him.

"No more fighting. Please." Hinata looks up at him with pleading lavender eyes.

"I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you. You know that. No more fighting, for now anyway. You need to get looked at by a medic." Sasuke says and brings her hand to his lips kissing her curled up fingers, which had tightened into a fist while she was dealing with the pain of her injury.

"Sasuke." Naruto says.

Sasuke gently carries Hinata Bridal Style. He looks at his best friend. Naruto hadn't known about the massacre. He was innocent. Naruto could be trusted for now.

At the very least, he could e trusted until Sasuke decided on how he was going to make this village pay for what had happened to his family. He wasn't going to allow it to happen again. He looks down at Hinata and makes a silent vow in his head.

"Itachi." Sasuke says, signaling that he wanted his elder brother to follow him to the hospital.

"You can't go like that. Use a Genjutsu to hide your appearance." Kakashi informs Itachi.

He nods. With a few hand seals his appearance was transformed. He made himself look like Kakashi and took off after his brother.

"Well that is unsettling to see him turn into me. But I guess no one would question my following Sasuke into the hospital." Kakashi muses.

"She needs help. Training accident." Sasuke says.

"Of course. We'll take her from here. How long ago was the accident?" The medic asks.

"About five minutes ago. I got her here as soon as I could." Sasuke says.

"Alright. Well that's not long enough for an infection to have set in. Don't worry, we'll get you patched up." She says to Hinata, smiling at her kindly, and takes her to one of the rooms.

"I'm sorry, but you'll have to wait out here or in the waiting room. You aren't her husband or family." The medic says.

Sasuke glares at her. It was quite impressive really. The Uchiha Death Glare was not to be underestimated. Still "Kakashi" places his hand on Sasuke's shoulder and stops him from attacking the medic.

"You'll have to excuse him. She is his teammate and he's very worried about her. Come along, Sasuke. We'll will go to the waiting room. Hovering in the hallway is only going to serve as a distraction to the rest of the hospital staff." His "guardian" tells him.

"Yes, Kakashi." Sasuke says, fuming, and follows his brother.

Thankfully, it was empty save for them. That made things easier. Itachi knew that he had to try to talk some sense into his brother. But he was at a loss for how. Things had been so much easier when Sasuke had believed him to be the heartless villain.

"All this time…I thought you didn't care about me. I thought you killed them all without a second thought. I was an idiot. I should have known you would never do something like that without a reason." Sasuke mutters and crosses his arms defensively.

"I wanted you to think that. You were only seven. There was no way that you could have possibly understood what was really going on. It doesn't matter now. You are safe. You're happy. You have a new family that loves you. You've even got yourself a lover. Don't throw that all away to avenge the dead." Itachi beseeches him.

"You are asking me not to avenge them. That means you can't stop me. You're really sick. If I wanted to destroy this village, you wouldn't be able to prevent me from doing so. Is that right?" Sasuke asks.

"Unfortunately, yes. The medication only delays the inevitable. Without the proper treatment, at best I can prolong my life for another six months." He admits.

"And with the proper treatment?" Sasuke demands.

"It doesn't matter. I am a Criminal Ninja, Sasuke. I can't exactly walk into a hospital and get what I need. The type of treatments needed and tests would expose my real identity. A Transformation Jutsu or Genjutsu would be useless." Itachi continues.

"But if the truth came out. Then you could get the treatment you need." Sasuke says.

"Yes, then I could. But to expose such a thing would rock this village to its core. It would make people question a lot of sincerely held beliefs. It could very well end up in a bloodbath and I do not want that." His brother argues.

"What if I don't want to lose you? You lied to me. But you did it because in your own demented way you care. You are the only family I have left." Sasuke says.

"That's not true. Kakashi and Naruto are your family, now. Hinata as well. You truly do love her. I saw that look of terror on your face when your blade hit her. That can not be faked." Itachi responds.

"Yes, they are. But it's not the same. It's not by blood. Yes, I love her. More than anything." Sasuke confesses.

"More than revenge?" He questions.

"…" Sasuke goes silent, he didn't know how to answer that.

"If she asked you not to act on this knowledge, would you do it? Would you not attack the Leaf? I can't ask you not to do it. Not after what I've done to you. You owe me nothing. But she can." Itachi says.

"I don't know." He says.

"With her you can have a future. If you chose revenge, you won't. You are one man, Sasuke. They will hunt you down and kill you like a dog afterwards." His older brother warns him.

"But at least I could die with honor. I'd know that our clan had been avenged." He mutters.

"And you'd leave Kakashi, Naruto, Hinata, and everyone else that you care about behind. How do you think Hinata will feel when she sees them your cold body put into the ground?" He questions.

"I can't let that happen." He says.

"Then let the dead stay buried." Itachi pleads.

"I can't let that happen either. I won't let you die. You've suffered enough. I still have to kick your ass for lying to me. I'm not letting a disease let you off that easy." Sasuke says.

"Sasuke, that made absolutely no sense." Itachi points out.

"YES, IT DOES!" Sasuke snaps.

"Foolish little brother." Itachi says with a fond smile, it sounded so strange to hear him say that in Kakashi's voice.

"I need something to distract me. This waiting is driving me insane." He mutters.

"Of course. In case you were wondering, no…I have no idea how Kisame acquired his shark like features." He offers.

"Oh. I was kinda wondering. What about the purple fingernail polish? I don't get it. Are you gay?" Sasuke asks.

"No, foolish little brother. I am not gay." Itachi says and twitches. (Well Kakashi's face twitches more accurately.)

"But come on…you are wearing purple fingernail polish. It doesn't matter to me if you like men. Is that why father was always so angry with you? He didn't approve? I mean I kinda understand. You were the next Clan Head. It was expected you'd have kids. But I would have had kids anyway. So really, he shouldn't have held that against you." Sasuke says and apparently he was constructing quite an elaborate "closet" for Itachi in his mind.

"Sasuke, I ASSURE you that I like women. Not men. I have no interest in men sexually. Not in the slightest." Itachi says.

It was at that moment, a nurse walked by. It seemed she had heard Itachi's response, but not what was said beforehand. She blinks. Her eyes go wide and she blushes, before scurrying off.

"You realize that now that nurse thinks Kakashi is gay. Rumors are going to spread across this village like wildfire." Itachi says with a sigh.

"Good." Sasuke says with a smirk.

"You do have a bit of a sadistic streak in you." Itachi muses.

"I wonder where I got that from." Sasuke mocks him.

"But to answer your question, my lover's favorite color was purple. After her death, I decided to honor her memory in this subtle way." He states.

"Oh…so you aren't gay then." Sasuke says.

"I AM NOT GAY!" Itachi yells at him.

"Finally, made you lose your composure." His younger brother replies and smirks.

"I can't believe that I fell for that. You never thought I was gay, did you?" Itachi says.

"No. Not for a second. But you fell for it anyway." Sasuke says with a smirk.

"I deserved that and more. So…a Hyuga? Really?" Itachi asks with amusement.

"Yes, really. Problem?" Sasuke growls.

"Not really. Though I am not certain such a match has ever happened before. I can not state with certainty if they would inherit the Sharingan, the Byakugan, one eye of each, a new bloodline entirely, or if some will posses the Sharingan and others the Byakugan." He explains.

"I guess we'll find out." Sasuke answers.

"And should I expect to be an uncle before my death? She does not look pregnant. But I suppose she could just be early in her pregnancy and not showing yet." He muses.

"YOU AREN'T DYING! And she's not pregnant." Sasuke mutters.

"Ah using the jutsu before marriage. Smart. Her family is quite traditional." Itachi concedes.

"No jutsu…" Sasuke mumbles.

"So you are trying to get her pregnant then? Well it is just a matter of timing. Sooner or later, her cycle will line up." He assures him.

"We aren't…we haven't…" Sasuke trails off.

"Oh. I can't believe that my brother is shy." Itachi states and shakes his head.

"I'm not shy! She's the shy one." The younger Uchiha defends himself.

"That or perhaps your seduction skills could use some polishing. I suppose it's only natural. You are young after all." Itachi says sympathetically.

"They do NOT need polishing!" Sasuke growls.

"It is nothing to be embarrassed about. No one starts off as a Casanova." Itachi continues.

"Oh like you can do better?" Sasuke says.

"My illness prevents me from…engaging in such strenuous pursuits currently. But if it were not from that, I have someone who is more than willing to warm my bed. Unlike you, I do not go for the blushing school girl type." Itachi states.

"Oh really? Who?" Sasuke asks.

"Her name is Konan." He replies.

"The blue haired one with the orange eyes?" Sasuke asks, blinking.

"Yes." Itachi confirms.

"Well she is kinda hot in a gothic dominatrix way. But isn't she like…twice your age or something?" Sasuke asks.

"She is only 14 years older than me." He clarifies.

"Oh so she's only ALMOST twice your age." Sasuke says.

"There are benefits to taking a more experienced lover." Itachi states.

"…I don't want to know." Sasuke says.

"Foolish little brother. Still a blushing virgin. Just like your little Hyuga Princess." Itachi says.

"Oh fuck you." Sasuke hisses.

"That would be incest. I must decline." Itachi counters smugly.

"You are such an asshole!" His younger brother seethes.

"I certainly deserve to be called worse than that." The older Uchiha concedes.

"Yes, yes you do." Sasuke agrees.

"Sasuke?" One of the nurses comes out to the waiting room.

"Yes?" Sasuke asks, immediately rising to his feet.

"She's going to be fine. I wouldn't recommend training for a few days. We've given her disinfectant and some bandages. But other than that, the wound bled heavily, but was largely superficial." The nurse informs him with a smile and couldn't resist winking at Kakashi flirtatiously, if she only knew that she had just winked at a serial killer.

"Thank you so much. Can I see her?" He half begs.

"Of course. She is asking for you." The nurse replies and Sasuke bolts down the hallway.

"Young love is so sweet." The nurse says.

"Yes, it is." "Kakashi" agrees.

"Are you doing anything this Friday?" She questions.

"I'm afraid I have a meeting with the Kazekage." He answers.

"Oh. Shame. Maybe another time?" The nurse inquires hopefully.

"Perhaps." He says, nodding his head.

Sasuke heads into Hinata's room. He immediately makes a beeline for her bed. His eyes scan her entire body for any hint of pain.

"I'm so sorry." He murmurs and kisses her forehead.

"It's alright. You didn't mean to hurt me. I was the one who jumped in the middle. I couldn't let you lose him. You've lost so much already. The nurse says I'll be fine in a few days." She assures him.

"Hinata, I'm supposed to be the one comforting you." Sasuke says in amusement.

"You need it more than I do." She says with a smile.

"I don't know what I did to deserve you." He murmurs and caresses her cheek.

"You were you. Helping Naruto save me from those bullies was a nice start." She offers.

"Oh yeah. Those cowards." He scoffs.

"And trying to comfort me when I was feeling worried before graduation." She adds.

"You looked so sad. How could I not?" He asks.

"No one else noticed. You always noticed me." She says and kisses him.

"And I always will." He says into the kiss.

"Sasuke…what are you going to do now?" She asks suddenly.

"I don't know. I can't just let them get away with what they did. The world deserves to know the truth. But at the same time, I don't want to upset you. It'd upset you if I tried to take revenge. Would you be able to forgive me?" Sasuke asks.

"I don't know. It would depend what you did. I won't let you kill innocents to punish the guilty." She tells him.

"I thought as much. Itachi's ill. He says without the proper treatment, he'll be lucky to last six months. He has a lover…" Sasuke continues.

"Ohhh. Wait, really? Who?" She questions.

"Konan." He answers.

"The one with the chin piercing?" She asks.

"Yeah, that's the one." Sasuke says.

"Well I suppose it makes sense. She is the only woman in the Akatsuki." Hinata muses.

"True. If he got the right treatment, he could live. But he can't get it as a Criminal Ninja. The truth would have to be revealed." He continues.

"And you are worried that might result in the deaths of innocents and upset me." She says.

"Yes. You are my everything." He tells her.

"The truth is important…" She begins and bites her lower lip, trying to decide what to say.

It was important she find the right words. She was quite possibly the only thing stopping Sasuke from going on a rampage. She couldn't mess this up. Countless lives might hang in the balance.

"Yes, it is." He agrees.

"Let them know. It is to save your brother. We can try to keep things peaceful. But please wait until my back is better." She adds as an afterthought.

"I will." He promises.

Naruto heads to the hospital. Kakashi couldn't because itachi had assumed his form. So he sent the blonde to try to figure out what the Hell was going on. Naruto takes a deep breath and walks inside. He didn't know what to expect.

He finds "Kakashi" in the waiting room. The blue eyed ninja walks over to him. This was Itachi. Sasuke's brother by blood. It was hard to try to reconcile the monster that Sasuke had told him about, with the truth. But he was trying. It was going to take some time to transition Itachi from the villain role into the victim or even hero one.

"Hey. So what'd they say?" He asks.

"She's going to be fine. It bled heavily, but it's largely superficial. Sasuke is with her now." Itachi answers.

"What about Sasuke? How is he?" Naruto dares himself to ask.

"It is hard to say. He might just be using humor as a defense mechanism. But he is taking it better than I anticipated." He says.

"Humor as a defense mechanism?" The blonde questions.

"It was a private conversation." Itachi informs him and closes the door firmly on that subject.

"Um yeah. Okay then." Naruto says.

"Hatred is strong. Love is stronger though. I believe he will be alright." Itachi states.

"I really hope so." The blonde says.


	10. Chapter 10

Love Conquers All

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. So yeah, we are going to save Itachi XD. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter.

Chapter Ten

Sasuke smiles. He kisses Hinata's forehead as he leaves her room. She needed her rest. Besides, he had some very important business to take care of. He had to save his brother.

"Kakashi, come with me." Sasuke says to Itachi, who was still impersonating his guardian.

"Alright." He replies and follows him.

"The sooner you start receiving the care you need, the better." Sasuke states.

"That is true." Itachi admits.

"So I'm going to solve this issue for us." Sasuke says and he grabs Shizune.

Shizune had traveled with Tsunade. She'd learned from the best. If there was anyone who could help his brother, it would be her. That and Sasuke was confident in his abilities to intimidate her into being quiet. That certainly wasn't the case with Tsunade.

He quickly casts a soundproofing jutsu over the room and seals the door shut with his chakra. There was no way he was going to risk them being overheard. This was too important.

"Itachi, you can show your true form now." Sasuke says.

Itachi dispels the jutsu and Shizune gasps. She was clearly terrified. Who wouldn't be? As far as she knew she was staring at a Criminal Ninja who had murdered his own family in cold blood. She'd be stupid if she wasn't terrified.

"Itachi was ordered to carry out the massacre. It seems that after decades of discriminating against the Uchiha Clan, my family decided to mount a coup. But the Leaf found out about it. This village as always is too cowardly to do its own dirty work. So instead, they had my brother murder his family. He did it to protect me and to prevent a Civil War from breaking out in the Leaf. That Civil War would have made us weak. Other villages would have attacked and it could have set off the next Great Ninja War." Sasuke begins.

Shizune listens with wide eyes. Could this possibly be true? Sasuke certainly seemed to believe it. But Itachi was skilled at Genjutsu. He could have brainwashed the younger Uchiha.

"And he is very ill. He'll die without the proper treatment. I know you are one of the best medical ninjas in the Fire Country. You can help him. You WILL help him." Sasuke continues.

"Sasuke, you might not be thinking clearly. You could be under some sort of jutsu." She warns him.

"I'm thinking very clearly. Even if I wasn't, I'd be more worried about yourself than me. If you don't do it, I won't hesitate to kill you." Sasuke growls and in a flash is behind her, with a kunai pressed to her pretty little neck.

"Alright. I'll do it. Just drop the kunai." She says with a calm voice, though on the inside she was quivering with fear.

She had no doubt that Sasuke Uchiha meant it. He would kill her. It didn't matter whether he was under the influence of a jutsu or not. The end result would have been the same.

"Good. I always knew you were the reasonable one. I'll watch you perform the surgery. Just in case you get any ideas about trying anything, don't bother. I'll stop you and no one will hear you scream." He warns.

"Al-right." She says and it was only through years of medical training that she was able to keep her hands steady as she began to work on Itachi.

Itachi was idly amused before she put him under. His little brother could be quite intimidating when he wanted to be. It was hard to reconcile this fearsome ninja with the adorable little boy who used to enjoy getting piggyback rides to the Academy from him. The world could be so cruel sometimes.

Shizune had been in many tense operating rooms. She'd been in the middle of war zones actually. But never had she been so nervous before in her entire life as she was when Sasuke Uchiha was watching her like a hawk whiel she attempted to save his brother's life.

It seemed he truly believed that Itachi's hand had been forced. She wasn't so sure. But she knew she was a dead woman if she didn't do as Sasuke instructed. So she wasn't going to argue.

Meanwhile Hinata was in her own hospital room. She sighs and touches her forehead. It still tingled from the kiss he had placed there.

"It will work out." She says as if trying to convince herself that somehow this story would have a happy ending.

Sasuke loved her. She knew that. He had been so panicked when he had hit her. But did he love her enough to give up revenge? That she wasn't so sure about.

He had promised to wait until she was healed though. Hinata believed him. Sasuke had never lied to her before. She didn't think it was likely he was going to start now. Not when it really counted.

Naruto sighs and goes to visit Hinata. He had to do something. All this waiting was driving him crazy.

"Hey. You okay?" The blonde asks.

"I think so. Sasuke agreed to wait until my back was better to do anything. I think he's going to tell the village the truth though. I don't know what will happen after that. I just don't know anymore Naruto. I can't believe that the Leaf would order a 13 year old boy to kill his entire family and then cover it up." She says with a sigh.

"Me neither. But Itachi is telling the truth. I don't know what Sasuke is going to do. I'm kinda surprised he hasn't snapped already to be honest. I think that's mostly because of you." He admits.

"Do you think if he really lost it that you could stop him?" She asks.

"Honestly? I don't know. I mean we are usually pretty evenly matched. But if he was really pissed off, I don't know. I'd be holding back. He might black out in a rage and not be. This could be ugly and fast. I will do my best though. If worse comes to worse, you know that." The blue eyed ninja tries to reassure his beautiful teammate.

"I know. Thank you, Naruto. It means a lot to me." She mutters.

"He stopped though. When you got hurt. So even when he's really far gone, he can be pulled back from the ledge. That's a good sign at least, right?" He asks.

"Yes." She agrees.

Lots of images flashed through her head. A young Sasuke, riding on Itachi's back. He'd been so carefree and happy. Naruto and Sasuke saving her from the bullies. Sasuke trying to hide from the girls in their year. He did that a lot. Naruto and Sasuke bickering over well, everything. Their kiss. Him standing up to her father. Their time on Team Seven. And the look of horror on his face when he realized that he had struck her by accident.

Sasuke was a good person. He would find his way again. The younger Uchiha had just been thrown off balance. Anyone would have. The fact that he hadn't gone on a rampage yet, was a miracle really. Hinata didn't know what she would have done in his position and was grateful that she would never find out.

Unbeknownst to Itachi, Konan had followed him. She watches from a tree branch near a hospital window. She used a Genjutsu to make herself look like part of the tree. She watches nervously.

He must have told Sasuke the truth, she decided. Otherwise, there was no way that the younger Uchiha would have demanded medical treatment for his brother. She bites her lower lip, hoping that it wasn't too late.

Itachi's disease had already progressed to such an advanced state. He could still make it though. She hoped. The blue haired woman didn't want to lose another of her most precious people.

Konan was by no means squeamish. A woman couldn't afford to be so when she lived with eight men. She was a member of one of the most fearsome criminal organizations in the world, the Akatsuki. She had lived through a Great Ninja War. And yet, she almost vomited several times while watching the procedure.

Sasuke had given into that impulse. She couldn't think less of the young man for it. Though it had made holding back the bile in her own throat that much more difficult.

"There is a resemblance. Kisame was right." She mused.

It really was a shame about Itachi's family. Konan did get the impression that it had been a rather attractive one, if Itachi and now Sasuke were anything to go by. Sasuke was far too young for her tastes. Even Itachi was pressing the grounds of what she considered acceptable.

Usually she preferred a lover her own age or older. They were more experienced and more mature. Itachi constantly exceeded her expectations though. He'd been born an old soul, she was sure.

"Speaking of Kisame, I wonder how he is going to take this bit of news." She muses.

"Konan, I thought I saw you sneak away from the hideout." She hears a familiar voice say.

"Kisame? You followed me." She accuses.

"Yes. It was surprisingly easy. It's not like you to let your guard down like that. You were watching that room so intently, that if I had wanted to…you'd already be dead. Now what has made you come to the Leaf?" He asks curiously.

"Itachi. He went to see Sasuke. Madara told the boy the truth. He was worried how Sasuke would handle it." She says.

"I see and the reason you are watching what seems to be a rather…gruesome operation?" The shark like man inquires.

"That's Itachi. Sasuke has taken a medic hostage. He is forcing he to operate on him. He's trying to save Itachi's life." She explains.

"Good. I don't want to say this to him. It might go to his head. But I've grown to like him. I'm glad he was assigned my partner. It could have been far worse. I could have gotten Deidara or even Tobi." He says, curling his lips in disgust.

If only Kisame knew that Tobi was actually "Madara." Madara was actually Obito. That Tobi merely played the part of a village idiot to achieve his own goals. He would have been impressed. But he didn't.

"I suppose that's true." She says with a smile.

"Do you love him?" Kisame questions.

"With all my heart. I didn't expect to find love again." She murmurs.

"Then why were you going to let him die?" The other Criminal Ninja asks.

"It was what he wanted. When you love someone, you respect their wishes…even if you don't agree with them." She answers.

"Such bullshit. If I was in love, I would have dragged them to the hospital myself." He states.

"And that is how you know you are not in love. Love is about putting someone's happiness before your own." She says with a sad smile.

"Do you think he'll make it? He's been pretty sick for awhile." Kisame observes.

"I don't know. But I know if anyone can. It would be him. Come, Kisame. I sense ANBU nearby." She says, darting off, and the shark ninja joins her.

"Strange, I could have sworn I sensed something." One of the ANBUS says.

"You probably just sensed chakra from an operation going on. Come on. It's time for a shift change anyway. There's a new bar in town, that I want to try out." The other says.

"Sounds good to me." The original ANBU says and heads off with his companion, unaware that they had come very close to meeting two members of the Akatsuki and certain death.

A few days later, Hinata was healed. Itachi's surgery was over and he was in recovery. Thankfully, no one knew yet about the second part.

Sasuke goes to see her. The youngest Uchiha didn't know how this was going to turn out. But he did know one thing. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with the Hyuga Princess.

He didn't care if that future included the Leaf being nothing more than rubble or living there. Just as long as she was by his side. If Itachi could forgive them, he could. But was going to expose the Leaf's dirty laundry and let the cards fall where they may.

"Hinata, do you want to go to the waterfall with me?" Sasuke asks.

"Alright." She says and takes his hand, as they head there.

Sasuke had gone there earlier that day. He had arranged everything. He wanted to do this right. When they got there, Hinata saw that a picnic blanket had been laid out, along with a basket filled with food, and what looked like rather expensive wine.

"A picnic? This was really sweet of you." She says with a smile and kisses his cheek shyly.

Maybe this would be alright. It seemed unlikely someone would have a picnic before they went off on a rampage. Then again this was Sasuke. He was anything but predictable.

"I'm glad you like it." He says and sits down with her, pouring her a glass of wine.

"Sasuke, have you decided what you are going to do?" She asks cautiously.

"I have." He answers.

"What did you decide?" Hinata questions him.

"I decided that I'm going to review the truth. I'm not going to directly set out to take revenge on the Leaf. But if the Leaf is destroyed by the truth, I'm not going to try to save it. Well other than your family." He replies.

"Oh…well I guess that's better than I expected." She mumbles.

"I don't want you to be sad. If I destroyed this place, you would be." He says.

"Thank you." She says.

"I'd do anything for you. You know that." He says and caresses her cheek.

"I know." She says with a shy smile.

"I hope I got the size right." He states.

"The size right?" The blunette asks and tilts her head.

"Ring size." He says and pulls out a little velvet box, getting on one knee.

"Is that a wedding rin-g?" She stammers.

"Yes, it is. Please don't faint. Hinata, I know we are young. But I do love you. No matter what happens, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?" He says and opens the box.

Inside the box was a wedding ring. It was a beautiful shining silver band with a large purple heart shaped gem in the center, surrounded by brilliant diamonds. Apparently when Sasuke went for something, he REALLY went for it.

"It's beautiful." She gasps.

"It suits you then. Hinata?" He asks.

"Yes, Sasuke?" She replies, still stunned.

"This is usually the part where you say yes or no…" He says.

"Oh…right! Yes!" She says.

"Good." He says, getting up, and he pulls her into his arms, swinging her around happily.

"SHE SAID YES! CONGRATULATIONS MASTER SASUKE! I am sure you two will have many beautiful hatchlings!" Aoda shouts out.

"…How in the world does a giant snake hide so well?" Hinata asks.

"I have no idea." Sasuke says and rubs the back of his head sheepishly.

"It fits, by the way." Hinata says with a smile, sliding the ring on.

"Good." Sasuke says and returns her smile.

"What are we going to tell my father?" She asks.

"That we are getting married. If he has an issue with it, he can be a snack for Aoda." Sasuke says.

"SASUKE!" Hinata shouts.

"I'm kidding. I'm kidding. I wouldn't feed your father to Aoda." He promises her.

"Good!" Hinata says in a huff.

"He probably would taste awful and would probably give Aoda food poisoning. I don't believe in animal abuse." Sasuke finishes.

"Sasuke!" She says, giving him a look.

"I'm kidding…maybe." Sasuke says.

"What am I going to do with you?" She says and shakes her head.

"Whatever you like. You could always tie me to the bed and punish me for threatening to feed your father to my Summon." The youngest Uchiha informs her and catches his blushing future bride, before she could faint.

"Yeah…we are going to have to work on her shyness. At least she didn't faint during the proposal." He says with a sigh, holding her in his arms lovingly.

Kakashi watches from nearby. He had followed Sasuke and Hinata. He wasn't sure what Sasuke planned to do now that Hinata was better. He feared the worst. He blinks when he sees Sasuke proposing.

Well never one to waste the moment, Kakashi takes out his video camera and starts filming. It was a new regulation, take a video camera with you, wherever you went. That way if you saw something, you could record it and use it in your mission report.

Besides, Itachi and Naruto were going to want to see this. The happy couple might want to keep it to show their children someday. It sounded like Sasuke was more than willing to get started on reviving his clan by the looks of things.

"Aoda, watch Hinata. We are being watched." Sasuke says and lunges at the person who was watching them, slamming them against a tree and holding a kunai against their throat.

"Whoa! Whoa! Easy there, Sasuke. It's just me." Kakashi says.

"Kakashi?" He asks in disbelief.

"I thought you might appreciate my filming the special moment for your family album. Very smooth. Purple was an unusual color. But it is quite the impressive ring. That must have cost a fortune." He muses.

"It was my grandmother's. Wait you filmed us?" He demands.

"Here you go. I thought you might like to show your children one day." He says and hands him the camera.

"Hmm…actually you're right. Thanks." He says and takes the camera.

"So…you aren't planning on destroying the village? That's good." Kakashi comments.

"Not planning on it. But like I said, if the village wants to tear itself apart once the truth is exposed, I won't help to protect it. Other than you, Naruto, Hinata, and her family…this village can burn for all I care." Sasuke states.

"It is disturbing to hear you say that. But I suppose that is better than I had expected to hear from you at this point." Kakashi concedes.

"And I took Itachi into the hospital. Shizune did the operation." Sasuke says.

"Sasuke! You can't just force someone to give another person a life saving operation by taking them hostage!" His guardian says, scandalized.

"Really? Because it seemed to work pretty well to me." He says.

"Oh it looks like Hinata is waking up. So what will you do first, tell the village the truth or Hiashi that you proposed to Hinata?" He questions.

"Hiashi. Itachi will need time to recover. Besides, I really don't give a damn about what Hiashi's opinion is on the matter. I love her. She loves me. We are getting married. If he has an issue with it…" Sasuke trails off.

"He's snake food?" The Copy Cat Ninja adds helpfully.

"Exactly." Sasuke says, nodding.

"I taught you well." He chuckles.

"Yes, you did." Sasuke agrees.

"I expect Naruto will be wondering where you are." His guardian informs him.

"Yeah. I probably should check on him. But I'll wait until Hinata is more awake first." He states.

"Good idea." Kakashi says.

"I thought so." The dark haired man says and heads over to his soon to be wife.

"You alright?" He asks in concern.

"Yes, I think so." She says and takes the hand he offered to help her up.

"Good. I don't know what I would do if anything happened to you." He admits.

"You are such a romantic." Kakashi muses.

"…Is everyone in this village watching us?!" Hinata asks.

"Sometimes it seems that way. Let's go find the loser. We should tell him the good news. After all, he's going to be my Bestman." Her future husband says.

"Yes. Oh…I guess Hanabi can be my Maid of Honor." Hinata says.

"Works for me." Sasuke replies.

"How is Itachi doing?" She questions.

"I guess we'll see. He made it through the surgery. He's a fighter. If anyone can beat this. It's him." Sasuke answers, suddenly growing serious.

Quickly, they head off to find Naruto. It doesn't take long for the happy couple to inform their teammate of their engagement. Naruto, predictably spazzed out. My God, the lungs on that boy were impressive.

"BASTARD! YOU'RE GETTING MARRIED?! FOR REAL?!" The blonde yells.

"Say that a little louder, Naruto. I don't think they heard you in the Wind Nation yet." Sasuke says and rolls his eyes.

"Yes, we are getting married. Sasuke wants you to be his Bestman." Hinata says with a smile.

"I'd love to! Oh…um we should probably check on Itachi." Naruto offers.

"Yeah. I guess I probably owe Shizune an apology. I'm pretty sure I terrified the Hell out of her." Sasuke admits.

"Sasuke, you really do have to learn to play nicer with others besides just me, Hinata, and Kakashi." Naruto says.

"Eh, I'll think about it." The youngest Uchiha says and heads off with Hinata and Naruto to see Itachi.


	11. Chapter 11

Love Conquers All

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. In this chapter, there will be more about Itachi's recovery and of course Sasuke/Hinata's engagement. Please enjoy.

Chapter Notation: I did some Googling. There are some different theories about what the heck was wrong with Itachi. But I went with…Hemoptysis. :P This is my attempt at sounding medical and I am not sure how accurate any of this would be. So if I happen to have any medically inclined readers that know is "wrong", lol please just try to go with it for the sake of the plot.

Chapter 11

If Saskue had ever doubted Itachi was sick, walking into that hospital room would have changed his mind. That man lying on the bed, couldn't possibly be his brother. He was white as a sheet, whiter than Orochimaru. His smoky black hair was plastered against his flesh like he had just run for days. Itachi's breathing was shallow, were it not for the slight rise and fall of the blankets over his chest, Sasuke would have wondered if his brother was dead.

"His illness had advanced quite far. He is going to need more than just one treatment. But for now, while very weak…I have stabilized him." Shizune informs him.

Shizune wasn't sure if she had done the right thing. The medic still wasn't convinced that Sasuke hadn't somehow been brainwashed by his cunning elder brother. Itachi was a master of Genjutsu. He could have made the boy, well young man see anything he wanted to.

"I see. How long will it take until he makes a full recovery?" Sasuke asks.

"If he survives…" She begins to say only to have that train of thought silenced by Sasuke's Deathglare that could have made even Madara Uchiha proud.

"He WILL survive. Go on." Sasuke says.

"I'd say at least a year. The first half of which, he'd most likely be confined almost exclusively to the hospital." She says.

"Thank you." Sasuke says and heads to Itachi's bedside.

Sasuke wasn't entirely sure if he was asleep or not at first. He saw Itachi's eyes were closed. But that didn't mean anything. He vaguely contemplates waking his elder brother up. He decides against it though. He'd need his rest.

"Do you want to sit with him for awhile?" Hinata asks.

Sasuke nods. He reaches over and touches his fiancee's cheek gratefully. He didn't even have to say what was on his mind, she just knew.

"There is no way that we will be able to keep his being here a secret for a year." Kakashi warns Sasuke gently.

"I know. But give him a few days to get over the first treatment. Then I let the village know the truth. It should be a novel experience for everyone." He says bitterly and narrows his eyes in determination.

"Sasuke." Hinata says.

"I'm not taking it back. It's accurate." Sasuke tells her.

Hinata sighs and kisses Sasuke's cheek. Well at least he hadn't flown off the handle, yet. So there was still hope that this could all be solved peacefully.

"What is wrong with him?" Sasuke demands to know.

"Hemoptysis. It's the result of alveolar hemorrhage. In alveolar hemorrhaging there is Hemoptysis, falling hematocrit, diffuse pulmonary infiltrates and respiratory failure. For your brother, he has Hemoptysis. This means his lungs were impacted. He is experiencing cardiac arrest. Likely the inflammation of his Sharingan sent his natural antibodies into overdrive and ended up making him ill after fighting a different inflammation previously. Thankfully for you, it's not thought to be genetic." She finishes.

"Oh. But you can fix it?" He asks.

"There are lots of options. The first is interjecting something into his bloodstream to stop the bleeding. I already did that. The tissue that is causing the condition can be removed, which I already did as well. I'm also going to give im Bronchoscopic laser therapy. That means I'll use lasers during a brochoscopy to remove the tumors, lesions, and widen his airways." She finishes.

"So that explains his bleeding eyes, the cardiac arrest, trouble breathing, and everything else." Sasuke mutters.

"Yes. It can be cured or at least managed." She adds.

"Good." Sasuke says.

Later on, Itachi wakes. He smiles when he sees his foolish little brother laying at his bedside. He couldn't resist. The elder Uchiha summoned up most of his energy to poke him in the forehead.

"Why do you always do that?" Sasuke mutters and rubs his forehead.

"It annoys you and shows I care." Itachi replies.

"Uh huh. How are you feeling?" Sasuke asks in a voice laced with concern.

"Weak. But…breathing is somewhat easier now. That medic you kidnapped is quite skilled. Where is your little Princess?" He asks curiously.

"She went to get us some food. You've been here for awhile." Sasuke says.

"Ah sorry to have kept you waiting." He says dryly.

"Shizune says it will likely take a year of treatments and the first six months you are probably going to be mostly confined to the hospital. But it can be managed or even cured." Sasuke informs his older brother.

"Yes, I'm aware of that. That sounds about right." Itachi mutters.

"If you knew that, why didn't you seek out treatment earlier?!" Sasuke thunders at him.

"Because I wanted you to kill me. Becoming weaker through the illness just made that more likely. The medication prolonged my life long enough to suit my purposes. That and I deserved to suffer for what I had done. Killing your family, no matter the reason for it…is not something that should go unpunished. One small way to begin the nearly impossible task of atoning for my many sins." The older man replies.

"You didn't do it because you wanted to. Itachi you probably prevented the next Great Ninja War. You are a hero, not the villain." He says.

"I suppose one could look at it that way. But your love for me, makes you biased. I'm not certain the world would ever be able to handle that much gray. People prefer things to be black and white. Good and evil. It's simple, easy to understand, and comforting. If they knew what really went on behind the scenes…they would not take well to the harsh reality of the world." He mutters.

"And Konan?" Sasuke questions.

"She's existed in a sea of gray almost since birth. Konan knows what this world is really like." He answers.

"Do you want me to try to contact her somehow?" Sasuke says.

"There is no need." Itachi replies.

"But she thinks you are dying." His younger brother says.

"I know her. She will find out on her own what has happened. She will come. Despite how risky it is, she'll come. Possibly Kisame as well." He adds as an afterthought.

"The one with the blue skin?" Sasuke asks.

"Yes, that's the one. He was my partner. In all honesty, I'm just happy that I was not assigned with Deidara or Hidan." Itachi admits.

"The art is a bang freak and the religious freak. The Akatsuki sure knows how to pick them." Sasuke points out.

"They were all chosen for their abilities, not their mental stability." His elder brother counters.

"I know. They chose you, didn't they?" Sasuke says with a smirk.

"Well played, foolish little brother. I did deserve that one." Itachi says.

"Yes, yes you did." His younger brother agrees.

Meanwhile Hinata grabs some food. Itachi would probably be hungry when she woke up and honestly, Sasuke should probably eat something. She doubted he'd had anything after their picnic.

Speaking of which, she couldn't help but glance down at her ring finger. She still couldn't believe that he had actually proposed. She bites her lower lip and tries to imagine what her father's reaction as going to be. Hinata wasn't sure what concerned her more, the fate of the village or her father's reaction when he learned of Sasuke's marriage proposal.

"Sasuke?" She calls out gently, as she walks back into the room.

"Ah there is your little Princess." Itachi says, coughing a bit.

"Pr-incess?" She asks.

"You are the heir to the Hyuga Clan, are you not?" The elder Uchiha questions her.

"I am." She says.

"Then the nickname fits. " The man decrees.

"I guess so." She mumbles.

"She's shy. But I do like her." Itachi says to Sasuke.

"I had the same opinion." Sasuke says and pulls Hinata into his arms.

Elsewhere in the hospital, Naruto and Kakashi were talking. The blonde was demanding to know what Kakashi was going to do about this? They couldn't just leave Itachi in the hospital for a year and hoped no one would notice. Someone was bound to notice eventually. And then what would they do?!

"Sasuke has decided he is going to tell the village the truth. I am not certain what the fallout from this will be. Thus, I am going to start organizing the ANBUS and Jonins. I'll let them know that an important announcement will soon be made. One that could cause disruptions." The silver haired man assures Naruto.

"I guess that's something. I can't believe this is happening." The blue eyed ninja states.

"Me neither. But life does have a tendency to throw us curveballs. It is how we react to them that matters." His guardian replies.

"Yeah, I guess so." Naruto agrees.

Konan smiles, watching from that tree again. Itachi was talking to Sasuke and a girl she didn't recognize. But she knew those eyes. Hyuga eyes. How interesting.

The woman frowns. Itachi looked so weak. It was a miracle that he survived what Shizune had done to him. But he was alive. That was what mattered most.

"He seems to have reconciled with Sasuke as well." She says to herself.

She smiles at this. Konan knew that would make Itachi happy. She was well aware how close he had been to his baby brother before the world got in the way. Maybe this could be different.

"I'd best not start expecting a fairytale ending." She says to herself.

Those types of notions were dangerous. It was not wise to start giving yourself false hope. When it was dashed, it was hard to recover form such a thing. She knew this from personal experience.

A few days later, Kakashi braces himself. This could very well end in disaster. He knew that he was courting it. But there was no talking Sasuke out of it. Itachi was…stable enough to watch the fireworks from the safety of the hospital anyway.

A large crowd had gathered in the Leaf's Village Square. The hospital was nearby. Itachi could watch from his room's window. Kakashi takes a deep breath and prepares for what could likely result in a riot.

"Attention, everyone. I have asked you all here because I believe that certain truths should come to light. This is going to be difficult for everyone to hear. But it is important that you do. I ask that everyone remain calm." Their Hoakge says.

Everyone looks at Kakashi. Almost instantly, the light hearted mood of the crowd changed. It was now one of tension. They all waited with baited breath to see what could possibly rattle their normally cheerful leader.

"Sasuke, perhaps you would like to be the one to explain?" Kakashi offers kindly, handing the younger Uchiha the microphone.

Sasuke nods. He looks at the crowd. Most of them he knew, were oblivious. They had no idea what happened that night. How many would believe him? Even if they did, would they care? His family had been planning a coup. It wouldn't be surprising if the citizens of the Leaf viewed Itachi's actions as having been the only logical ones.

"Years ago, my brother killed our family. I thought he did it only to test his strength. That he had betrayed all of us. I was wrong." Sasuke says.

Hinata walks over to Sasuke. The bluenette places her hand on his shoulder in a comforting fashion. Sasuke smiles at her and takes his hand in his owner, drawing reassurance from his soon to be wife.

"He was ordered to do it. My family was isolated for years. Isolation breeds mistrust. Mistrust breeds fear. Fear leads to hatred. Hatred leads to death. They decided to mount a coup, before the Leaf decided they were too dangerous. Somehow, the Leaf found out about it. They sent Itachi to spy. Eventually, my brother had to decide between his clan and the village." He continues.

Everyone was watching Sasuke now. There were some startled gasps. People began whispering to each other. He tried to gauge the crowd's reaction and found he couldn't. So he decides to go on with his explanation.

"If he sided with his family, there would be a Civil War within the village. In some ways, it didn't matter who would have won this. It would have made the Leaf weak. Other villages would have exploited this opportunity. It could have spawned the next Great Ninja war." Sasuke says.

The crowd was now eerily silent. It was if the weight of his words was being processed. Sasuke was vaguely aware of seeing Itachi peek his head into the window of his hospital room briefly. The fact that Itachi was depending on him, gave him the strength to continue.

"So he killed them. He killed them for you. And in return for his sacrifice. He was branded a traitor. He lied to me. Pretended to be something he wasn't, a cold blooded murderer. I want you all to realize how much blood this village is built on. How many Itachis have there been that we will never know about?" Sasuke hisses and Hinata squeezes his hand, to calm him.

"This village tried to take everything from me. It took my family. It took hid the truth. It very nearly took my brother's life. But I have a new family now and have reconciled with my brother. I won't allow what happened then to happen ever again." He continues with conviction in his voice.

The audience was still silent. It seemed no one knew what to say. There were some looks of denial. It was clear some didn't want to believe it. Still there were others who looked horrified. Perhaps they couldn't deny the truth. Others looked angry. Whether they were angry at him for the accusations or at him, he didn't know. Then there were those who looked sad. The ones that made him angriest though, were those that dared to look at him with pity!

"I've brought him back with the blessing of the Hokage. If anyone has an issue with this they will have to face me. Do not be cowards and fight me. I'll only say this once. My brother is going to have the life he deserves this time." He says.

That snapped everyone out of their daze. Some were outraged. How could the Hokage allow an S Class Criminal into the village? Even if what Sasuke said was true, if he could kill his family…he was capable of anything. Why had Kakashi not discussed this with anyone?!

Some of the ninjas rushed at Sasuke. Hinata was in no mood though. She swiftly blocks the chakra of one man who got closer than she would have liked. The Hyuga Princess was no match for Sasuke's Deathglares. But she gave a rather…effective one. Probably because no one ever expected the sweet tempered woman to look so positively furious.

"Don't you dare." She warns him.

Kakashi sighs. It looks like a riot was going to break out. Yes, the village was split. There were those that wanted Itachi back. There were those who didn't. And still others who might be agreeable with having Itachi back, but were outraged that he hadn't consulted anyone before deciding on this. The fighting was brutal. It resembled a drunken bar room brawl more than that of skilled ninjas.

"STOP IT! ALL OF YOU. If you continue fighting, I will have you thrown in jail. My word is final." Kakashi bellows.

That stopped the fighting. One did not argue with the absolute authority in Kakashi's voice. Well one didn't argue if they wanted to live. Although he was known for his easygoing nature, Kakashi was truly a lethal ninja when he wanted to be.

"That's better. Well now you know the truth. I will further add any attacks on Itachi will be treated as a crime. You'll be lucky if it only gets you thrown in jail. Sasuke is quite protective of his older brother now that he knows what really happened." The Hokage continues.

There was some mute nodding. No one really knew how to react to all of this. Their entire world had shifted on its axis. If they didn't know about this, what else had the Leaf hid from them?

"Sasuke, is there anything else you would like to say?" His guardian asks.

"One more thing. Hinata and I are getting married." He says.

"YOU'RE WHAT?!" Hiashi says.

"We are getting married father. He proposed to me a few days ago. But with everything that was going on, we thought it best to wait awhile before telling you." Hinata says softly.

"UCHIHA, I SWEAR TO GOD SHE HAD BETTER NOT BE PREGNANT!" Hiashi thunders.

"She isn't. Don't you dare raise your voice to me like I'm some child." Sasuke snarls at him.

"YOU ARE A CHILD. YOU'VE NOT EVEN HIT YOUR 20TH BIRTHDAY." Hiashi reminds him.

"This child is more than capable of feeding you to his Snake Summon if you don't shut up." Sasuke says twitching.

"How dare you threaten me like that?! Hinata, did you not hear what this insufferable brat just said to me?" Hiashi demands.

"I heard him. We've already talked about this, Sasuke." She reminds him.

"I'm sorry. But he just pisses me off." Sasuke mutters and crosses his arms.

"You proposed to my daughter without asking for my blessing, first! This is an outrage!" Hiashi continues.

"The only thing that is an outrage is you. Shut up. You are annoying. I love her. She loves me. We are getting married whether you like it or not." Sasuke finishes.

"Did you even get her a ring?" He demands.

"Of course I got her a ring!" Sasuke snaps.

The crowd blinks. They had gone from the Uchiha Massacre being discussed to this. It was such a sudden shift. Frankly, they were getting whiplash. They didn't know how to process all this.

Still it was funny. Someone was finally telling Hiashi off. Many Leaf Village Ninjas had wanted to do the same for years. Hiashi face was also turning purple with rage. It was impressive really.

"Master Sasuke, do you require assistance?" A giant snake that literally seemed to appear out of nowhere asks.

"I don't require it. But it is appreciated." Sasuke says with a nod.

"Of course, Master Sasuke." Aoda says and smacks Hiashi with his tail, sending him flying back a few feet.

"Thank you, Aoda." Sasuke says.

"Master Sasuke and Lady Hinata are going to mate. It is not wise to try disrupt nature. Your hatchling is no longer hatchling. It is time for her to have children of her own. She is happy with Master Sasuke. You want he to be happy, yessss?" He asks and his S's were drawn out in such a way that only a snake could manage.

"I can't believe a snake is trying to give me parental advice." Hiashi scoffs.

"You speciest!" Aoda cries out in outrage.

"Trust me, that's probably one of his least offensive qualities." Sasuke mutters.

"I really dislike your father, Lady Hinata. He is not like you." Aoda bristles in outrage.

"…He is a good man. He's just a stubborn man." Hinata offers.

"I see. I see." Aoda muses.

The crowd decided to disperse. No one wanted to get caught up in the middle of this family squabble. Besides, look at the size of that snake! Yes, yes it was better to leave and mind their own business, they decided.

"You had better treat her right, Uchiha." Hiashi snarls at him.

"I've never treated her any other way. You are the one who was cruel and neglectful." Sasuke hisses.

"I was not!" Hiashi argues.

"Aoda, just knock his ass out. I can't deal with him." Sasuke mutters and Aoda gladly gives Hiashi a good smack.

"FATHER!" Hinata says and rushes over to him.

"He's alright. He'll wake up soon. You said I couldn't have him be snake food. You didn't say I had to listen to his stupidity." Sasuke points out.

"Sasuke, I love you but you really have to work on your temper." Hinata says.

"I love you too. That is why you are the angel and I'm not. You are more forgiving than I am." Sasuke says.

While everyone was distracted, Konan enters the hospital. She knew it was a risk. But she had to see him. She uses a Genjutsu to make herself look like one of the nurses.

"I knew you would come." Itachi says and offers her a small smile.

"How could I not?" She asks and is instantly at his bedside.

"Do you know how risky it is for you to be here? You are a Criminal Ninja. Your face is in the Bingo book. Sasuke might be able get me a pardon, but you…" He trails off.

"I never would ask for one. I just had to make sure you were alright. Your little brother, he is quite the dramatic one, isn't he?" She says in amusement as she looks out the window.

"Yes, he is. Never a dull moment with him." Itachi muses.

"Or with you. And now we shall have many more moments together." She says and laces her fingers with his.

"Yes, many more moments." He agrees with a smile.


	12. Chapter 12

Love Conquers All

Author's Note: Thanks for all the reviews. Sorry this one is late. I got caught up in some of my other stories. _**That's My Boy**_ has really taken off lol. It's a Hinata x Sasuke story where their son shows up from the future for those who are interested.

Chapter Twelve

"You are granting Konan a full pardon and Kisame." Sasuke informs Kakashi.

"I am? They Akatsuki members." His guardian reminds the youngest Uchiha.

"I don't care. After everything that my brother has been through, he deserves happiness. If she makes him happy, then so be it. That and Shark Face is his friend." The dark haired ninja informs him.

"Well I would have to come up with quite the clever story to get her off the hook for all the crimes they've committed. I might be able to manage though. How is Itachi doing?" The Copy Cat Ninja inquires.

It had been six months since Sasuke found out the truth about the Uchiha Massacre. Itachi had been largely confined to the hospital for those many months. Kakashi didn't envy him.

He knew that the elder Uchiha must be going stir crazy by now. There were few people on earth who hated hospitals more than ninjas. They were used to being constantly active, so laying in a bed all day was utter Hell for most of them. He could only imagine that the elder Uchiha was probably ready to strangle someone.

"He's doing better. The medics say he's stable enough to attend the wedding. Hinata and I are both pretty happy about that. Hiashi is furious. Which just makes it better." Sasuke admits with a smirk and Kakashi shakes his head at his ward's sadistic sense of humor.

"Ah good. Good. Hinata is going to make such a beautiful bride. I suppose that is why you waited so long, to make sure Itachi could attend?" His guardian asks.

"Mostly. That and Hiashi wanted to be sure she wasn't just marrying me because she is pregnant." Sasuke says.

"Is she?" The silver haired Kage asks.

"No. She's not." Sasuke says and slaps his forehead, why did everyone think that he was some sort of sex fiend?

"Ah I see. Well I'm certain she will make a beautiful bride. I am very happy for you. I remember when you were just an adorable lost kid with those HUGE bubble eyes." He says sagely.

"I did not have bubble eyes." Sasuke protests.

"Yes, yes you did." He chuckles and Kakashi pictures the seven year old Sasuke standing where the man now did. (Truly, Sasuke had been such an adorable little kid.)

"Kakashi." He says warningly.

"Now on your wedding night, remember what you said all those years ago. When a man loves a woman he…" The Hokage trails off, he couldn't resist teasing him.

"Gives her orgasms. Believe me, I intend to do that A LOT." Sasuke says with a smirk.

"Ah that's my boy. I taught you well. I'm so proud of you." He says, pat patting Sasuke on his head.

"Kakashi." Sasuke says.

"Sorry. I couldn't resist. I got caught up in the moment. Don't worry. I won't mess up your hair. That's Hinata's job during the heat of passion." He says slyly.

"Damn right, it is." Sasuke says and heads out of the Hokage's office, wondering how he was going to get out of the stupid Bachelor Party that he knew the loser was planning for him.

Meanwhile with Itachi and Konan in his hospital room, Itachi smiles as Konan fluffs his pillow for what seemed like the 20th time that day. He didn't mind though. He enjoyed fluffy pillows and the sight of her leaning over to fluff them was quite the…pleasant one. If asked, Itachi would admit that he was a big admirer of the female form, particularly breasts.

"Sasuke says he is going to attempt to get you a pardon." Itachi states.

"That's sweet of him. But there is no possible way that he can do that. Even if Kakashi wanted to, what would be the justification?" She asks.

"It's Kakashi. Never underestimate that man's creativity. He could sell ice to someone in the Snow Country." The eldest Uchiha informs her.

"Hmm that would be quite the sight." She muses and gets on the bed, straddling his waist, kissing him.

"Yes, it would. I am only half joking as well." Itachi says with a smile, returning her kiss.

Elsewhere in the village, Hinata was dealing with her father. She had to try to reason with him. He was just being so stubborn.

"Father, our wedding is scheduled tomorrow. I am not rescheduling it now. Be reasonable." She says.

"You have all the time in the world. Neither of you has even hit your 20th birthday yet. What is the harm in waiting longer? Besides, his brother hasn't fully recovered yet, has he?" The Patriarch questions and tries desperately to stall for time.

"He's well enough to attend the wedding. Neither of us is changing our minds. Please father, don't make a scene. You do not wish to disgrace our clan, do you?" She asks, knowing that was the ultimate trump card.

That was the one thing that Hiashi would never risk. No matter what happened, there was one thing that could always be counted on. Hiashi Hyuga would never allow any dishonor to come to his family's name. Backing out of a wedding the day before, well that would be certain to cause quite the scandal. She smiles, thinking of all the things that her father would be scandalized by, if he only knew about them.

 _It happened on a mission. She forgot what it was. But it required a fair bit of travel. It was their first time having a mission that lasted more than a day. They had to set up camp._

 _Being the only girl in the group, she got her own tent. Naruto and Sasuke were sharing a tent. They apparently shared a room at home, so this was not new to them. Kakashi wasn't bothering with a tent._

 _"Night Hinata." Naruto said._

 _"Night, Naruto. Night Kakashi Sensei. Good night, Sasuke." She said with a smile and headed into her tent._

 _Hinata had a nightmare that night. She must have been crying out pretty loud. Because the next thing she knows, she heard someone enter her tent._

 _Sasuke looked down at the sleeping Hinata. She was crying out in her sleep. She didn't appear injured. So he assumed logically it must be a nightmare. He leans down and gently tries to wake her._

 _Yeah. That didn't work out exactly like how he planned. He felt his arm grabbed and he was yanked onto the cold, hard ground, and Hinata had him pinned._

 _"Good reflexes?" He asked and looked up at her._

 _"Oh God! Sasuke! I'm so sorry! I was having a nightmare and just reacted. Are you hurt?" She asked, feeling mortified._

 _"I'm fine. You're a lot stronger than you look." He said and winced feeling a bruise form on his arm._

 _"Th-anks." She mumbled, her face still hot with embarrassment._

 _"I get them too, you know?" He asked._

 _"Nightmares?" She replied._

 _"Yeah. I know what they are like. I heard you crying…" He trailed off._

 _"That was nice of you to check on me." She said._

 _"Well don't let the loser know. I have a reputation, you know?" He says and pulls her flush against his chest._

 _"Sasuke? What are you doing?" She asked._

 _"Holding you. Nightmares are less likely to attack two people than one." He informed her, resting his head on hers._

 _"I've never heard that before." She mumbled._

 _"Of course not. I just made it up. It sounded good though." He muttered._

 _"Yes, it did." She said with a smile._

 _"Get some sleep." Sasuke told her with a yawn._

Hinata smiles at the memory. Whenever Sasuke thought he could get away with it, he'd sleep next to her. He did chase the nightmares away.

It had always been rather innocent. He never tried to grab her. Sometimes though, she'd wake to the feeling of him brushing her hair out of her eyes or cuddling into her. But that was the extent of how "frisky" he got.

"What are you smiling about?" Hiashi asks in confusion.

"It's nothing, father. I hope you will attend the wedding tomorrow. Because we aren't putting it off." She says and leaves, without waiting for a dismissal.

Hiashi scowls. How dare she leave without him dismissing her? That damn Uchiha brat was rubbing off on his daughter in the worst way possible. She had never been so disrespectful before her engagement to him.

Hinata decides to go find Sasuke. She blinks when she saw Naruto dragging Sasuke into a bar. Sasuke was flailing.

"God dammit, Naruto! I said I don't want to." He says.

"Oh come on. It's your Bachelor Party. Hinata will understand." He says.

"I don't have any interest in strippers with fake breasts." Sasuke scoffs.

"Sasuke that was horrible of you. You shouldn't just assume their breasts are fake. Some of them are real." Naruto says.

"I don't care. Let go of me." The Uchiha states and tries to wiggle free.

Naruto had called in reinforcements though. The mame members of the Rookie Nine and shockingly even Itachi drug him inside. What the Hell? Hinata feels herself twitch.

"I do believe that our men just walked into a strip club." Konan says, appearing out of nowhere.

Hinata had met her. Konan had been living in the village, disguised as a merchant. She'd dyed her hair crimson red and was wearing forest green contacts. She'd grown it out to her waist and had trade in the Akatsuki robes for simple kimonos. So far, no one suspected a thing.

"Yes, I think so too." Hinata huffs.

"And there is only one proper response in such a situation." She says.

"To go in there and remind those tramps that they are taken?" Hinata asks.

"Exactly. I knew there was a reason that I liked you. Let's go." Konan says and walks inside the club with Hinata.

"Foolish little brother, they aren't going to let you out of this until at least one of these women gives you a dance." Itachi warns him.

"Those…can't possibly be real." Sasuke says and blinks at the sheer size of those things that the stripper apparently called breasts. They were bigger than Tsunade's.

"Sasuke. Be polite." Itachi says warningly.

"Alright. Alright." Sasuke says and goes quiet as the stripper approaches him.

"What about you, cutie? Want a get well lap dance?" Another dancer asks Itachi.

"That's kind of you to offer, but no thank you." He states in a dignified fashion. (Well as dignified as anyone could be in a strip club.)

"Oh you are in a wheelchair. Think of it as a get well present." She says, settling into his lap.

"Think of this as a career intervention." Konan says and sends that stripper flying with one punch.

"Get your hands off my fiance!" Hinata says and not so bitch slaps the rather large breasted stripper off Sasuke.

Sasuke gulps. Fuck. He was in big trouble. He wondered if Hinata would listen to him. It wasn't like he wanted to have this stupid party. He'd been drug here against his will. He was fucking innocent dammit!

"Is it wrong that I found that highly erotic?" Itachi asks.

"Maybe a little. But let's get you back to the hospital. You have a big day tomorrow." She says and wheels her recovering lover off.

"Hinata…I want you to know that I was here against my will." Sasuke says nervously.

"I know. I heard them dragging you in here." Hinata says and she drags Sasuke off.

"Oh good. Well now that I know that you aren't going to castrate me or something, I have to say the whole jealousy thing, it's kinda hot." He mutters.

"Really?" She asks.

"Really." He says, nodding.

The next day the wedding is held. Itachi was in the audience, in his wheelchair. Konan in disguise standing next to him. Naruto was serving as Sasuke's Bestman.

Sasuke had to admit, it was amazing what the Hyugas could accomplish when they wanted to. Yeah, most of them were creepy as fuck and acted like worker bees in a hive. But damn they could produce some beautiful results.

Somehow the Forest of Death had been transformed into a Forest of Love. Instead of an intimidating forest, it now resembled more of an enchanted forest. There were beautiful flowers and colorful lanterns everywhere. The Moon was full and the stars were shining brightly. The sounds of classical music could be heard as everyone waited for the bride to make her way down the aisle.

"Now, I am warning you human if you disrupt Master Sasuke and Lady Hinata's wedding in any way, I will eat you. Is that clear?" Aoda says to Hiashi as he prepares to walk Hinata down the Aisle, who would be arriving in just a few minutes.

"How dare you threaten me?!" Hiashi roars.

"I. SAID. IS. THAT. CLEAR?!" Aoda hisses at him, revealing his massive fangs which were bigger than Hiashi.

"Crystal…" He says with a sigh.

"Good. I knew you were not a stupid human. Besides, think of all the beautiful grandhatchlings they will give you." Aoda says in cheerful voice, causing Hiashi to wonder if the snake might be bipolar.

"Hinata, you look beautiful." Hiashi says when he sees his daughter walk over to him.

"Thank you. I'm g-lad you came." She offers him a smile as she takes his hand.

Hinata walked arm in arm with her father. She was vision of loveliness with her dark blue hair cascading down her beautiful snowy white gown like a waterfall and lavender eyes shining brightly with happiness. The wedding dress was sleeveless. The top of her gown had elaborate diamonds that were placed into elaborate floral designs. The bottom was large and flowing silk, making grand swishing motions with every step she took.

She'd decided not to go with a veil. Sasuke had always said that she had beautiful eyes. So she didn't see a point in hiding them.

"Uchiha, if you hurt her, I will kill you." Hiashi says as he reaches the end of the Aisle with Hinata.

Aoda gives Hiashi a look. He raises his tail as if to say. _You want to push me? I'll push back._

"I'd never hurt her. Hinata you look beautiful." Sasuke whispers at her, as he takes her hand and pulls her close to him.

"The customary death threats from the father of the bride have been issued. So let us begin the ceremony." The Priest says, drawing many chuckles from the audience.

"I believe the Groom and Bride wanted to exchange some vows first?" The priest asks.

"Yes." They nod.

"Would the Bride like to go first?" The priest asks.

"Alright. Sasuke, you have always protected me. Even when we were children at the Academy. You and Naruto rescued me from some kids that were attacking me. Later you protected me from myself, when I doubted myself before graduation. You even chased away my nightmares. You've always made me feel safe, special. With you, I'm happy, stronger. I love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you. Oh and by the way, cinnamon." She says with a smile.

"Cinnamon?" The priest asks in confusion.

"Nevermind." Sasuke says to the priest.

"Alright then. Sasuke, would you like to give your vows?"

"Yes, I would. Hinata you are my everything. You are my light. My sanity. Even in my darkest moments, you bring me back to the light. You're my beautiful angel and I love you. You were also my first kiss and your kisses still taste like watermelon, by the way. I want to spend the rest of my life with you." He says.

"Ohhhh. Alright I get it." The priest says at the last part.

"Do you Hinata Hyuga take Sasuke Uchiha to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold? In sickness and health? To love, honor, and cherish until death do you part?" He asks.

"I do." She says with a shy smile.

"I do." Sasuke says.

"Sasuke…I haven't said the words yet." The priest chuckles.

"Oh. Sorry I was distracted by her smile." He says.

"Well she does have a beautiful smile. Ahem…as I was saying. Do you Sasuke Uchiha take Hinata Hyuga to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold? In sickness and health? To love, honor, and cherish until death do you part?" He asks.

"I do." Sasuke says.

"Then by the power vested in me by the Leaf Village and the Fire Nation, I pronounce thee husband and wife. You may kiss the bride." He says.

Sasuke wasted no time. He pounced and captured Hinata's lips, deciding to use the alter to give her some to lean back against. The blushing bride, wraps her legs around Sasuke's legs to keep from toppling over.

"He must really like watermelon." Naruto mutters.

"UCHIHA GET YOUR MITTS OFF MY DAUGHTER. Have some decency, you are in public. Hinata get your tongue out of his mouth!" Hiashi says scowling.

"Well it looks like they are rather eager for the Honeymoon. Would the bride and groom like to throw the bouquet and garter belt?" The priest questions.

"Oh, of course." Hinata says, pulling away from Sasuke, blushing, and she tosses the flowers.

Konan caught them and blinks. Sasuke slowly removes the garter belt from Hinata's leg, mostly to piss off Hiashi. Then he smirks, never one to miss an opportunity makes sure to hurl that lacy thing straight at his brother.

"Well it is tradition. Konan, will you marry me? It is unfortunate that my foolish little brother beat me to the alter. I will not count it though as I would have proposed sooner, had I known I was going to live this long." Itachi says and he reaches down into his wheel chair pulling out a little black velvet box.

"Did you seriously just make getting married into a competition?" Sasuke asks in disbelief.

"But I presume that we will have our first child before them." He adds.

"You are insane. You are lucky you are handsome and that I love you. Yes." Konan says and kisses him.

"GO ITACHI!" Kisame says.

"It's an AKATSUKI! Get him!" The ninjas in the audience roar and rush at Kisame.

"Wait. He's a guest. Actually, I am pardoning Konan and Kisame." Kakashi says and rattles off a bullshit story to explain it.

"Oh." They say and look like they are about to protest this declaration, but one look from Aoda settles them down.

"Thank you, Kisame." Itachi says and shakes his head in amusement.

"Do you think he'd actually wear a tux at our wedding?" Konan asks.

"It seems unlikely, but if you really want him to, I'll just tsukuyomi him until he agrees." Itachi offers.

"No, I don't think such extreme measures are necessary." She replies.

"Very well." Itachi states.

"Master Sasuke, do you mind if I leave early? My mate's most recent clutch should be about to hatch." Aoda asks.

"Most recent clutch? Wait you have kids?" Sasuke asks blinking.

"Currently we have 126 hatchlings in various stages of their lifespan." He answers.

Sasuke looks at Hinata like, did you hear that? Did he seriously just say he has 126 kids? Hinata puts up her hands like " _Yes, I heard it. No we are NOT having that many."_

"It's fine. Thanks for keeping Hiashi in line." He says and watches as Aoda slithers off.

Sasuke leads Hinata to the dance floor. She smiles and wraps her arms around his neck. He grabs her waist. Sasuke did try to grab her a little lower, but Hinata apparently had been embarrassed enough for today because she moves his hand right back up.

"That's no fun." He mutters into her ear.

"We'll have fun on the Honeymoon." She whispers back.

"Definitely." He says, smiling and sways to the music with her.

"How are we ever going to cut that cake?" Sasuke asks, glancing at that truly massive wedding cake. (He was positive it was bigger than him.)

"I'm not sure really." She answers.

"I gotcha covered." Kisame says and he swings his sword, slicing the cake up.

"That works. Thanks." Sasuke says.

"Anything for Itachi's kid brother." He says and he heads off to the bar.

"So where would you like to go for our honeymoon?" Hinata asks.

"Doesn't matter. You aren't leaving the bed anyway. So you can pick." Sasuke says with a smirk.


	13. Chapter 13

Love Conquers All

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. Well this will be the last chapter of this story. I still have a lot of Sasuke x Hinata stories going. **That's My Boy** is the main focus at the moment. Feel free to check them out if you like. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this grand finale and for my lemonade lovers, well we have the honeymoon to take care of all your needs. ^^

Chapter 13

Sasuke was surprised by his new wife's choice. Hinata had chosen the Snow Country for their Honeymoon location. She'd said that she'd never been there and mentioned something about wanting to make Snow Angels and wanting to go skiing.

So now here he was, in their honeymoon suite, curled up on the couch with Hinata by the fireplace. On second thought, he was starting to see the appeal of the Snow Country. It definitely gave him an excuse to keep her nice and warm. He smiles and wraps his arms around Hinata.

"Aoda really likes hatchlings." Hinata says with a giggle.

"Yes, he does. Speaking of hatchlings…" Sasuke tries off as he slowly starts slide off her beautiful wedding dress.

Hinata blushes. She was used to Sasuke being the aggressor in their relationship. He'd been the one to actually kiss her, to lay by her side, to propose, and well he'd always made the first move. So it wasn't surprising when he reached for her first. But just this once, she wanted to make HIM be the one to blush for a change.

"Wait." Hinata says, placing her hand on top of his to stop him.

"What's wrong?" He asks in confusion.

"Nothing. I just want to take the lead this time." She says.

"Really? Alright." He tilts his head to the side, that was new.

Hinata's heart was pounding in her chest. She'd never done this before. What if he didn't like it? What if he preferred being the dominant lover and she did something wrong? Gathering all her courage, she sits in his lap and begins sliding off his shirt.

Sasuke watches her curiously. He'd never really seen Hinata try to take the lead before. He'd always been the one to reach out his hand to her and pull her into the next step with him. He wasn't really sure what _taking the lead_ meant in Hinataese, but he was more than willing to find out.

Hinata glides her hands over his powerful arms and over his sculpted chest. He was like a work of art really. Like ivory marble or something. But she could feel his heart beat underneath her fingertips, he was very much alive.

"How's this?" She asks.

Sasuke smiles and kisses her, running his fingers through her hair. He loved her hair. It was like silk and such a beautiful color. He might be pulling on it later tonight. He wondered if she'd let him back her from behind.

"Really good." He murmurs into the kiss and Hinata returns it.

"Good." She says and tugs off his pants and boxers at the same time.

Hinata blinks. She wasn't really sure what she was expecting. But she didn't think he'd be that big or thick.

"How about this?" She takes into her hand and strokes him.

"Fucking fantastic." Sasuke groans and thrusts into her soft, warm hand.

That felt so much better than when he did it himself. But he really didn't want to spill his seed into her hand like some overly excited Chunin. Sasuke pushes Hinata onto the couch and straddles her waist.

"I love you." Sasuke murmurs hotly into her ear and nibbles on it.

Hinata giggles and squirms underneath him. Sasuke's hands quickly finger her bra and panties, sliding them off. He decides to leave those lacy stockings on her lovely long legs. He found himself growing fond of those.

"Which is why, I had to stop you. I want to be inside you when we find our release." He continues and kisses her neck.

"T-hat feels good." She moans and arches against him.

Sasuke almost lost it when he felt her breasts pressed so very sensually against his chest and her womanhood so close to his arousal. He had to be patient though. This was her first time and he didn't want to hurt her.

While Sasuke was trying to calm himself down, Hinata had flipped them. Sasuke blinks at the change in positions. But he couldn't help but admirer the view.

She was truly glorious. The way her midnight blue hair caressed her creamy shoulders and partially draped her breasts. Her breasts were to Sasuke perfect. Large, firm, and crowned by rosy pink nipples. Without thinking about it, he takes one into his mouth and sucks, drawing a moan from his soon to be lover.

"Sss-asuke." She pants into his ear.

He smirks, figuring he was doing something right. So he sucks harder and lavishes the rosebud with his rough tongue, while his other hand finds her ass. The younger Uchiha caresses it.

His relationship with Hinata had been largely innocent as carnal touches were concerned before today. He intended to change that. So Sasuke was having a grand time, exploring her body. He particularly liked the sensual curves of her firm backside and the way her legs looked in those stockings.

"We should have done this a long time ago." He purrs into her ear, after briefly releasing her bosom from her mouth, before starting right back up again with his maddening teasing.

Hinata moans. It felt so good when he touched her in this way. She couldn't help but arch against him further. They had only just started and she could already feel herself growing wet with desire for him. She blamed the fact that he was currently teasing her breasts and ass with his talented mouth and equally talented hands.

"Yes." She pants out and almost jumps when she feels one of his hands snake between her thighs.

"Relax. It will feel good soon. I promise." He tells her, kissing her heatedly.

She nods and moans when she feels her husband cup her in his hand. Sasuke rubs her lightly, glancing at her to see her reaction. Judging by the way her eyes were clouding over with desire and that beautiful blush against her skin, she liked it.

"You're already wet." He says and slides one finger inside her.

"I-s that bad?" She asks and squirms when she felt him touch her there.

"No. It's very good. It means you want me as badly as I want you." He growls into her ear and starts thrusting into her experimentally.

He knew that everyone had a certain spot inside them. A spot that made them feel really good. He just had to find it. Suddenly, Hinata lets out a needy whimper and he could feel even more evidence of her desire because she got wetter. Yeah, he found it.

"I want you to cum for me. Then I'm going to bed you over that coffee table over there and do what I've wanted to do since we were Chunin." He tells her.

Hinata blushes hotly. She was on top of him. Yet, somehow he was still in control. She arches her back in pleasure when he added another finger inside her and hit that spot again. It felt so good.

"You're adorable when you blush. You can get on the coffee table now. I want to taste you." He tells her.

"Sasuke that's…" She trails off.

"Perfectly normal for a husband and wife to do." He finishes for her.

Sasuke wasn't sure how red Hinata could get. But he supposed he was going to find out shortly. His adorable wife though shyly gets off him and bends over the table. He smirks. She really was such a good girl.

"You're the most beautiful thing, I've ever seen in my life." He tells her, pulling her hair over her shoulder and placing a kiss on her neck, before parting her legs, and moving down to bury his head between her thighs.

"I love you." Hinata says.

"I love you to." He replies and experimentally flicks his tongue against her.

Hinata gasps and moans. Sasuke smirks, liking this reaction. So he starts lavishing her with his tongue. Even down here, she tasted like watermelons.

Hinata squirms wildly against him. It felt like her lower half was a damn that was about to break. But in a really good way. His was so rough and warm against her most secret place.

"Hinata, this is probably going to hurt at first. But it will feel good soon." He tells her and moves his tongue away from her.

This draws a needy whimper from his wife. Sasuke smiles. Good, she was as desperate for relief as he was. That might make this easier. He slowly slides himself into her.

Hinata cries out in pain. Sasuke decides to distract her by covering her back with kisses and rubbing at her clit. This seems to do the trick as she arches against him and into his hand.

Fuck! She was so hot, tight, and wet. He didn't know the it was possible to feel this GOOD. It took every ounce of his will power not to just slam her into that coffee table. But then he heard her cry of pain. Sasuke did his best to distract he with kisses and teasing touches. After a few torturous minutes, he feels her move her hips backwards encouragingly.

"It's okay. It doesn't hurt anymore." She whispers to him.

"Good." Sasuke says and begins a slow, sensual rhythm to his thrusts.

He didn't want to hurt her again. Judging by the soft moans and mews of pleasure, this pace was a good one for now. She fit so perfectly against him. Like they were made for each other.

Hinata moans. It hurt at first, like someone had pierced her with a rather large kunai. Sasuke though was patient. He was always so gentle with her, kissing and caressing her to ease her through. Finally, she wiggled back against him and he started moving.

After a few thrusts, the pain went away. It was replaced by a slow burn. But then he started to hit a spot inside her that made her see stars. She moans and bucks back against him in pleasure.

"That's better." He says and kisses the back of her neck, moving faster now.

She moans. It felt good to have him on top of her like that. She could feel the muscles of his chest against her back, his warm breath on her neck, and the feeling of him inside her. She felt full and her womanhood begins to throb with desire again. She knew she wouldn't last long.

"Sasuke!" She moans.

Judging the fact his thrusts were now faster and rougher, he was close to. He turns her head just enough to capture her lips in a sloppy, passionate kiss, as he slams into her recklessly.

Hinata moans into the kiss and shudders as her orgasm slammed through her. Sasuke breaks the kiss long enough to cry out her name as he finds his release. He holds her against him, panting as they both ride out the high that came with achieving carnal bliss.

 **End of Honeymoon Lemon**

"Yeah, you definitely aren't leaving the hotel room." Sasuke says and nuzzles her.

"I'm okay with that." She says with a smile, snuggling into him.

"Good." Sasuke says.

The next two weeks passed in a blur of tangled limbs, moans, desperate pleas, and pleasure. Sasuke kept his promise. She never got to leave the room. By the end of their Honeymoon, Hinata wasn't entirely sure if she was going to be able to walk for a few days.

"I can always carry you." Sasuke offers, scooping his new wife into his arms.

"I'd like that." She says with a smile.

"I wonder how everyone else is doing?" He muses.

"Well I imagine that Konan and Itachi are getting ready for their wedding. Poor Kakashi probably has his hands full with all the pardons. Kisame, I hope he isn't scaring small children with his teeth for fun. Naruto is likely eating his tenth bowl of ramen today right about now." Hinata rattles off.

"That's probably disturbingly accurate. Let's head home." He says and soon enough they are back in the Leaf.

Sasuke goes to visit Itachi. He was back in the Uchiha District. Hinata and Sasuke were going to move back there soon. It still needed clearing out though.

"How are you feeling?" Sasuke asks.

"Better. I'm still fatigued. I imagine that I will suddenly find myself gaining a second wind shortly. Konan and I have set our wedding date for next month. By then, I believe I'll be recovered enough to perform my husbandly duties." He says.

"Just as long as you don't poke her on the forehead during sex, I'm sure she'll be happy with you." Sasuke says slyly.

' "Foolish little brother." Itachi flicks him on the forehead for that one.

"Owe! Dammit, Itachi." He growls.

"In other news, Kisame has taken a companion of sorts. The woman's name is Anko. You may know her?" Itachi states.

"Really? Didn't see that one coming." Sasuke says.

"Me neither. I suspect it is a S&M relationship. I don't desire to know the details about their…intimate activities. Naruto has been granted his own Genin team." He adds as an afterthought.

"That's something I have to see, the loser leading a bunch of kids." Sasuke says.

"I trust you enjoyed your Honeymoon?" Itachi asks.

"Oh yeah. Didn't get to see much of the Snow Country though. Kept her in the hotel room." Sasuke says.

"Ah a very successful Honeymoon then. I expect I will be an uncle within the year." He states.

' "More than likely." Sasuke agrees.

"Well now that you are back, you can assist me in repairs. Foolish little brother, you didn't try to maintain any of these builders, save for our house." Itachi says and tsk tsks him.

"I was seven!" Sasuke protests.

"You could have had Kakashi do it. But that's no matter now. Come." Itachi says and leads him off.

By the end of the day, Sasuke was beat. Boy was he glad to sink into a nice hot bath. He was joined by his lovely wife.

"How was your visit with your family?" He questions her.

"Alright. Father is…still not pleased. But he is coming around. I think. Once we give him a grandchild, I imagine he'll warm up to you more." She adds.

"Your father doesn't warm up to anyone, ever. It's like he's made out of ice. But I guess we will see." Sasuke says and he holds her.

"Sasuke, he's really not that bad." Hinata protests.

"Uh huh." He says skeptically.

Two months later, Naruto rushes to find Sasuke. Sasuke was still working on some repairs to the District with Itachi. He raises an eyebrow wondering what Naruto was spazzing about now.

"What is it?" He asks.

"It's Hinata. She's sick. She's at the hospital." Naruto tells him.

Itachi marvels at his brother's speed. Truly, he didn't think he'd ever seen someone run that fast. It was impressive really. He follows the younger Uchiha. Hinata was a good Sister-In-Law and he was concerned about her.

"Hinata, are you alright?" Sasuke asks from outside the bathroom.

Yes, he could definitely hear the sounds of his wife vomiting. She was doing so quite a bit. Sasuke frowns, growing rather concerned.

"I'm alri-ght. Just give me a minute." She stammers out and ten minutes later she emerges.

"What's wrong?" He asks pulling her into his arms.

"Nothing's wrong. I'm pregnant. I got the results this morning. I wasn't sure how to tell you. I guess the Morning Sickness did it for me." She mumbles.

"You're pregnant?! That's wonderful!" He says and spins Hinata around happily.

"S-sasuke! Put me down. If you keep that up I'm going to be sick again!" Hinata warns him.

"I'm sorry." He says and puts her down, beaming.

"It's okay. I'm happy too." She says with a smile.

Seven months and many death threats later, Sasuke hears a loud cry fill the hospital room. Hinata had given birth to their first child.

"It's a girl." The doctor says with a smile and hands the baby to Sasuke while he assists in helping Hinata onto a clean bed and making her presentable.

"She's beautiful, Hinata. Just like her mother." Sasuke marvels at the tiny baby in his arms.

Well she wasn't really tiny. The doctor informs him that she was considered to be an average weight and height for a baby. But to Sasuke she felt small.

His daughter had his raven hair, though if the sun or light struck her just right, you could see hints of midnight blue in there. Sasuke had had that in his youth. Her hair was soft like silk, just like Hinata's. She had Hinata's beautiful silver lavender eyes. The baby had his ivory skin tone. He noted she had Hinata's adorable little button nose.

"Can I hold her?" Hinata asks.

"Of course." Sasuke says, rushing to his wife side and depositing the precious bundle into her arms.

"She has your hair and skin. But my eyes and nose." She says happily.

"Yes, she's perfect. Just like you." He says and kisses the top of Hinata's head, smiling down at their daughter.

"What should we call her?" Hinata asks.

"Madoka. It means tranquil. She has not cried since being in my arms or yours. It suits her. Madoka Uchiha, I like it." Hinata agrees and nurses her.

"I want to see the hatchling!" Aoda says, peeking his head through the window.

"Aoda, our daughter has a name. Madoka." He states.

"I want to see Madoka." He says.

"You will after she's done feeding." Sasuke tells him.

"Such an adorable little hatchling." The serpent says.

"Yes, she is." Sasuke agrees.

"HEY, BASTARD! I wanna see!" Naruto shouts and comes racing in.

"Idiot! You are going to scare her. Babies don't like loud noises!" Sasuke says.

"Hmpf! Whatever. Awe she's so cute. Definitely takes after Hinata. Which is a good thing. Wouldn't want he to take after your ugly mug." Naruto taunts him.

"Oh really?" Sasuke says and gets ready to whack Naruto upside the head.

"Naruto, I would not taunt my brother. He is a new father and as such as plenty of anxieties to vent. Which he will likely do, using your face as a punching bag, if you continue down this path." Itachi states smoothly while slowly walking into the room.

"Awe, I was just teasing him. The bastard knows that!" Naruto argues.

"Naruto, will you stop using that word when my daughter is right here? I don't want that to be her first word." Hinata says.

"Oh sorry, Hinata. How are you feeling?" He asks.

"…Sasuke, please smack him for me." She says.

"Gladly." Sasuke whacks Naruto with a pillow.

"OWE! What was that for?" He growls.

"She just had a baby. Childbirth is the most painful physical torture that a woman can go through and you had the nerve to ask her how she was feeling?" Konan says, following Itachi inside the room.

"Okay! Okay! I get it. Sheesh." Naruto mutters.

"She is beautiful. Soon she'll have a cousin to play with." Konan says.

"Damn you Uchihas breed fast." Kisame says, as he heads into the room.

"This room is getting rather crowded." The doctor says nervously.

"It's alright. I'll make sure they don't get out of hand." Kakashi assures the poor doctor, as the Hokage walks into the room.

"She's right. Your daughter is beautiful Sasuke. You are going to have your work cut out for you in about 15 years." Kakashi chuckles.

"Hmpf." Sasuke says.

Later that day, when Hinata and the baby were asleep, Sasuke goes to see Kakashi. He owed the man a lot. The least he could do is say thank you.

"Sasuke, what brings you here this time of night?" Kakashi asks.

"I never…actually said it. Don't make me say it again, but thank you." The youngest male Uchiha says.

"Thank you for what?" He asks, cocking his head to the side in confusion.

"Everything. Taking me in. Taking Naruto in. If it wasn't for you, I would have been left on my own. I never would have heard Itachi out. I would have been alone. I would have become bitter. I would have sought revenge and ended up killing my brother. And I probably never would have been able to love Hinata like I do now." Sasuke says.

"You don't have to thank me for that. You and Naruto are the closest things to sons that I have. Besides, I think even if I didn't take you in. You still would have loved her and you wouldn't have killed Itachi. The truth has a way of coming out and love conquers all, even loneliness." Kakashi says.

"I guess it does. I mean it though. Thanks." Sasuke says and actually hugs Kakashi.

"You forgot to thank me for one other thing though. Which is odd considering how extensive your list was otherwise." Kakashi muses as he hugs back.

"What's that?" Sasuke asks.

"Letting you read that book. It seems it led to a rather happy marriage." Kakashi chuckles.

"You god damn pervert! You just had to go and ruin the moment!" Sasuke says.

"Oh well you know me, I'm always trying to lighten the mood." He says with a smile.

"Oh yeah? Well just for that…" Sasuke trails off and snatches Kakashi's mask.

"I don't get it, there's nothing wrong with your face. I thought you'd have a hug fish lip, bucked teeth, or your scar would be hideous. But you look, normal." Sasuke mutters.

"Dammit, Sasuke! There is a reason why I wear this." He says.

"HEY, EVERYONE. I DID IT. I GOT RID OF KAKASHI'S MASK! COME SEE!" Sasuke calls out.

"Noooo!" Kakashi says and tries to run for his life.

It was too late though. Suddenly everyone comes to get a look. Kakashi races off. He was being chased by a huge flock of new fan girls.

"He deserved that one." Itachi muses, at Sasuke's side.

"Yes, he did. Wait. How did you know that?" Sasuke asks.

"I was watching in the shadows the whole time. He completely ruined that touching moment." Itachi states.

"Yes, he did." Sasuke agrees.

"So…how many children are you planning to have with Hinata?" Itachi asks conversationally.

"I don't know. I definitely want our daughter to have lots of playmates." Sasuke muses.

"I recommend at least ten hatchlings. That way you know for sure that at least two of them will survive to adulthood!" Aoda chimes in.

"Aoda, when did you sneak in here? Nevermind that's not how it works for humans. We have fewer children, but they also have a much lower mortality rate than your hatchlings do." Sasuke states.

"Oh…when all the females were chasing, Kakashi. I think they like his scales. Hmm I see recommend ten children, that way you will have a diverse bloodline to work with for clan restoration. Itachi's mate is older than Hinata. She likely won't be able to have many hatchlings." Aoda replies.

"Yes, it seems like they do." Sasuke says chuckling.

"Ten children, well foolish little brother, you better get started then." Itachi chuckles.

"She'd kill me." Sasuke states.

"Oh I don't know about that. Love conquers all, even the urge to strangle your spouse when they take crazy advice from a snake." Itachi says.


End file.
